A Zoo Atlanta vet wishes a fond farewell to the giant pandas he worked with for 25 years

Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta

My family has held a Zoo Atlanta membership for the past seven years. My favorite animal to watch is the giant panda. My impatient children often have to pull me away from the cuddly creatures as I stare, fascinated, while they munch bamboo. When we heard the pandas were going back to China, we knew we wanted say our farewells.

Fewer than a handful of zoo authorities know the exact date of the pandas’ departure. That’s intentional, so activist groups can’t disrupt the carefully planned exit. However, Zoo Atlanta has announced that the four pandas currently residing at the habitat—parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang and children Ya Lun and Xi Lun—will leave mid-month, as the contract between Zoo Atlanta and China expires. While the zookeepers hope to get new pandas in the future, nothing is planned yet. (San Diego Zoo recently welcomed two new pandas—the first to enter the United States in 21 years.)

“While Zoo Atlanta will certainly miss Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun, and their departure is bittersweet, they have created a momentous legacy here in Atlanta and around the world, leaving their mark not only in the hearts of their friends and fans, but on the scientific and zoological communities’ understanding of the behavior, biology, and care of this rare and treasured species,” Zoo Atlanta president and CEO Raymond B. King says in a press release. “It has been our privilege to be able to share this remarkable family with our members and guests for 25 years.”

Lun Lun and Yang Yang joined Zoo Atlanta in 1999 when they were 2 years old. The pair has birthed seven cubs during their time in the Peach State, including two sets of twins (technically litters of two). Per the agreement with the Chengdu Research Base, all pandas born in the U.S. return to China once they reach adulthood, around age 3 or 4. Elderly pandas are also sent back to China before they pass. Born in 2016, Ya Lun and Xi Lun remained in Atlanta longer than anticipated due to air travel stoppages during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The pandas travel in specially designed, 500-pound crates with plenty of food and water. When they arrive in China, they’ll be quarantined for a month before settling in at the Chengdu Research Base. Since the pandas have been trained using English commands, they won’t necessarily understand their Chinese keepers. Luckily, the Atlanta team has shared the hand signals they use with the pandas with their Chinese counterparts.

Zoo Atlanta Vice President of Animal Health Dr. Sam Rivera has worked with the pandas since their arrival 25 years ago, learning about their welfare, reproduction, husbandry, and more. “I helped bring the crates into the building—it was an amazing day,” he recalls. “We work really closely with these animals and develop a bond. We get really attached. We would’ve loved to have kept them, but we understand it’s time for them to go back.”

He is especially close to Lun Lun, having monitored all of her pregnancies. “Lun Lun had to be trained to lay on her back, and I had to reach in between the bars to her belly to do ultrasounds,” he recollects. “She would hear my voice and lay on her back waiting! Those type of connections are really special.”

Courtesy of Zoo Atlanta

When giant pandas first came to Atlanta, they were an endangered species. They have since moved to “vulnerable” status (one step less scarce) with only about 1,800 living in the wild. Zoo Atlanta has a long history of investing in the conservation efforts in China, having contributed more than $17 million to panda reserves and research. What the zoo will do with the giant panda habitat and adjacent stuffed panda-filled gift shop in the future is yet to be determined. During my recent visit, a zookeeper noted that the full focus right now is getting the pandas home safely. Then, they can worry about everything else.

“To have the opportunity to work with such an iconic species and make a difference in that species has been the experience of a lifetime,” Rivera says.

In the meantime, the zoo staff is doing all they can to help Atlantans get their panda fix. On October 5 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center will host Panda Palooza, a free farewell party for zoo members and ticket holders. Attendees can stop by the panda pavilion to make goodbye cards for the furry animals, write thank you notes to the Panda Care Team, and more. The zoo is also opening early on select dates for an exclusive 45-minute guided tour and visit with the pandas. The cost is $40-$50 per person ($15 for members). Tickets are already sold out.

Those who can’t make it to the zoo can always check in on their black-and-white friends via the PandaCam .

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