2 giant pandas from China make public debut at San Diego Zoo

Panda Ridge at the San Diego Zoo, home to two new giant pandas from China, is officially open.

Almost a month and half after Yun Chuan and Xin Bao arrived in the United States from China, the public is finally getting the chance to see the pandas in person starting at 9 a.m. local time.

Caretakers describe the 5-year-old male Yun Chuan as inquisitive, smart and a bit shy, while 4-year-old Xin Bao is more laid back.

"[Yun Chuan] loves his bamboo. He's really comfortable in his habitat. He explores, and he's curious," Dr. Megan Owen, VP of Wildlife and Conservation Science for the San Diego Zoo, told "Good Morning America."

Owen said the zoo has grown eight different species of bamboo to suit the bears' palates.

"We give each of our pandas a choice so that they can tell us which are their favorites. And we need to balance that with what are the most nutritious species of bamboo for the bears," she explained.

After snapping a stalk of bamboo in half, the pandas delicately use their teeth to remove the outside layer and eat the inner shoot, as well as the leaves and stems.

Because bamboo is relatively low in nutritional value, giant pandas consume about 40 pounds every day to meet their needs, so infants rely on mother's milk and, in some cases, panda baby formula.

"Our team worked to develop a giant panda formula that increased the success rate for giant panda cubs' survival from 5% to 95% -- a really incredible contribution," Owen said.

Tensions between the U.S. and China temporarily paused the panda lending program, but the resumption of so-called panda diplomacy is now being celebrated in both countries.

"We have so many things that we're discussing at the global political levels that we see every day in the news. What's powerful is this is something we both share priorities with, we both see the importance of wildlife conservation, we both understand it's important to the world," Paul Baribault, president and CEO of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, told "GMA."

The pandas are the first to enter the U.S. in over two decades, according to the zoo.

Baribault previously made the announcement about the pandas' official debut last month.

"We are delighted to introduce Yun Chuan and Xin Bao to our San Diego Zoo community," he said in a statement at the time, via press release. "Our newest residents will bring joy to our visitors and symbolize the enduring spirit of international conservation efforts."

For soon-to-be visitors who may need help differentiating the pandas, wildlife specialists said Yun Chuan has a "long, slightly pointed, nose tip," and Xin Bao can be recognized by her "large, round face and big, fluffy ears."

Since their arrival at San Diego Zoo on June 27, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao have been put in isolation to help them get acclimated to their new environment in the newly reimagined Panda Ridge, an innovative space built as their habitat, featuring trees for climbing, a wide variety of plants, and rolling hillsides that allow the pandas to navigate and explore vertically.

For the guests who want to experience the giant pandas, the zoo is offering three options, visitors can either obtain a complimentary Giant Panda Timed Ticket on the day of their visit, join the standby line or get an exclusive 60-minute guide called Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour.

An earlier version of this story was originally published August 6, 2024.