ZOO ATLANTA HAS INITIATED PRELIMINARY DESIGN PHASE OF UPGRADES TO GIANT PANDA COMPLEX

In hopeful anticipation of a future new giant panda agreement with partners in China, Zoo Atlanta has initiated the preliminary design phase of an expansion to its Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center in the Asian Forest Zone of the Zoo.

Zoo Atlanta does not yet have a formal giant panda agreement with China. The Zoo is currently engaging in dialogue with partners in China on a future giant panda program; however, with a new agreement not yet in place, additional details are not yet available.

Zoo Atlanta’s original giant panda loan agreement with China expired in October 2024, the year which also marked the 25th anniversary of the Zoo’s giant panda program. The four remaining giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta, original pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang and their two youngest offspring, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, departed Atlanta for China on October 12, 2024. All now reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, as do Lun Lun’s and Yang Yang’s five previous offspring.

Zoo Atlanta will communicate additional updates as they are available. For more on the Zoo’s giant panda program, refer to the Panda Program FAQs on zooatlanta.org.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Rachel Davis
Director of Communications
rdavis@zooatlanta.org
404.624.2812

Gavin Johnson
Public Relations and Communications Specialist
404.624.5980
gjohnson@zooatlanta.org

About Zoo Atlanta
A proud accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), the gold standard for animal care and welfare, Zoo Atlanta has a mission to save wildlife and their habitats through conservation, research, education, and engaging experiences. The Zoo is home to hundreds of animals representing more than 200 species from around the world, many of them endangered or critically endangered. Highlights include one of North America’s largest zoological populations of great apes and a global center of excellence for the care and study of reptiles and amphibians. Recent transformations include the African Savanna, featuring expanded habitats for African elephants, giraffes, zebras, ostriches, warthogs, meerkats and rhinos; Savanna Hall, a state-of-the-art special event destination in the restored historic former home of the Atlanta Cyclorama; and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Plaza. For more information, visit zooatlanta.org.