San Diego Zoo Joins 2025 Rose Parade for Fourth Consecutive Year, Celebrating 'Best Day Ever'

The pandas, the first to enter the U.S. in over two decades, will be accompanied by the Zoo’s beloved red pandas, Lucas and Adira.Photo bySan Diego Zoo

San Diego, CA – For the fourth year in a row, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance will participate in the iconic Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Rose Parade® on New Year’s Day, 2025. This year’s float, designed to capture the 136th Rose Parade's theme of "Best Day Ever," promises to take viewers on a breathtaking journey through Asia’s magnificent ecosystems, showcasing the Zoo's commitment to global conservation efforts.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance is known for its stunning parade floats, having won the prestigious Sweepstakes Award for the most beautiful entry in 2024. This year's float will once again bring awe-inspiring designs to life, featuring intricate depictions of key species from the Zoo’s Asia Conservation Hub, including the world-famous giant pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao.

Yun Chuan, a five-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a four-year-old female, made their public debut at the San Diego Zoo on August 8, 2024—an event officially declared "California Panda Day" by Governor Gavin Newsom. Their symbolic presence on the 2025 float is a tribute to the power of nature and conservation as unifying forces. The pandas, the first to enter the U.S. in over two decades, will be accompanied by the Zoo’s beloved red pandas, Lucas and Adira, along with Connor, the majestic Malayan tiger.

The float will not only captivate viewers with its animal representations but will also showcase the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance’s botanical expertise. Using plants grown by its own horticulture teams, including bamboo, the float will be adorned with vibrant flowers and greenery, bringing to life the habitats of the pandas, red pandas, and tigers.