Pandas coming to CA zoo for first time in decades — and city calls it a ‘major boost’

A zoo in California soon will receive rare animals that should give the city a “major boost,” officials said.

As part of China’s Panda Diplomacy Program, the San Francisco Zoo was selected to receive giant pandas, according to an April 19 news release from city Mayor London Breed.

Breed said she was “thrilled” and that this would mark the first time the city will be a “long-term home” for giant pandas.

President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China met with President Joe Biden in November and discussed the exchange between China and the U.S., officials said.

The goal is to “build a stronger, lasting relationship between China and San Francisco,” the release said.

The last time pandas were at the zoo was for a temporary time in 1984 and 1985, officials said. The two pandas were at the zoo during the 1984 Summer Olympics tour and brought more than 260,000 visitors to the city.

The pandas returned to the zoo in 1985 for a three-month visit, officials said.

Breed said the semi-permanent pandas at the zoo will bring more tourism to the city.

The arrival date hinges on the completion of an enclosure to house the pandas, officials said.

This story was originally published April 19, 2024 at 11:00 AM with the headline "Pandas coming to CA zoo for first time in decades — and city calls it a ‘major boost’."