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Pandas

China’s new ‘giant panda college’ to welcome first students in autumn

The 50 undergraduates will study wildlife protection and conservation at first-of-its-kind panda institute in Sichuan province.

The 50 undergraduates will study wildlife protection and conservation at first-of-its-kind panda institute in Sichuan province

13 Jul 2024 - 8:00PMvideocam

Hong Kong can use ‘panda economy’ to drive business amid bears’ arrival: minister

13 Jul 2024 - 7:37PM

Editorial | Hopes of small first as panda couple prepare for Hong Kong move

10 Jul 2024 - 7:30AMvideocam

Hong Kong leader heading to Sichuan reserve after Beijing gives city 2 pandas

News of the gift announced on Monday as city celebrated 27th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China.

6 Jul 2024 - 12:14AM

The new pandas will join Ying Ying (pictured) and Le Le at Ocean Park. Photo: Elson Li

Hong Kong tourism chief leads team to Sichuan as city set to welcome new pandas

Advance team already on site, with minister to arrive in coming days to discuss preparations for pandas gifted by Beijing, source says.

3 Jul 2024 - 4:11PM

Hong Kong delegation to head to Sichuan to ensure safe arrival of 2 pandas

Delegation to meet officials, panda experts to discuss procedures as animals will need to undergo quarantine, city leader John Lee says.

3 Jul 2024 - 12:55PM

2 giant pandas set off from China to the US – for first time in over 20 years

The male Yun Chuan and female Xin Bao are expected to arrive later this week at the San Diego Zoo, travelling more than 11,000km from a research and conservation facility in Sichuan province.

27 Jun 2024 - 7:29PM

Giant pandas at the Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Sichuan province, China. Two of the bears are en route to the San Diego Zoo in California. Photo: EPA-EFE

Opinion | Mixed messages undermine US-China rebuilding of people exchanges

China needs to reverse the atmosphere of intimidation felt by academics, journalists and businesses while the US must change its gruff approach.

18 Jun 2024 - 9:30AMvideocam

‘Pick a pair’: Chinese premier promises Australia more pandas

The second day of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to Australia on Sunday focused on positive aspects of the bilateral relationship.

16 Jun 2024 - 3:47PMvideocam

Chinese panda centre denies South Korea-born bear Fu Bao is being abused

The refutation comes after South Korean fans take out ad in New York’s Times Square saying the animal has been mistreated in China.

8 Jun 2024 - 5:54PMvideocam

Giant panda Fu Bao eats at the Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong National Nature Reserve in China’s Sichuan province on May 27. Photo: Xinhua

Panda fever hits Washington’s National Zoo early, as does donation drive

Zoo will pay US$1 million a year to a China wildlife group, with aim of raising US$25 million to ‘secure a future’ for the bears in nation’s capital.

22 Jun 2024 - 7:38AM

Banners announcing the coming arrival of giant pandas at the National Zoo in Washington. Photo: SCMP

Opinion | In US election year, pandas bring joy but won’t move needle on China relations

China’s move to lend giant pandas to zoos in Washington and elsewhere is a gesture of soft power and a sign it does not want relations to reach a point of no return.

3 Jun 2024 - 4:30PMvideocam

Panda diplomacy, Taiwan’s ‘US whisperer’: 7 reads about US-China relations

From furry, four-footed gifts to a family that overcame incredible racism, these are the highlights from the SCMP’s overseas correspondents from May 2024.

2 Jun 2024 - 11:00PM

Panda diplomacy is back: China sending pair of bears to US by end of 2024

Planned arrival of rare bears at American capital breathes new life into decades-long conservation partnership amid tense Sino-US ties.

30 May 2024 - 12:20PMvideocam

Qing Bao, a Washington-bound female giant panda, eats bamboo in her habitat in Sichuan province in China on May 17. Photo: Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Fears for ‘panda dogs’ in China zoo dyed black and white to look like bears

A pair of dogs in China have had their coats artificially coloured to resemble pandas so that a zoo can attract more visitors, sparking accusations of animal cruelty.

21 May 2024 - 9:16AM

A zoo in China is facing allegations of animal cruelty for putting dyed dogs on display which look like, but are not, Giant Pandas. Photo: SCMP composite/Weibo/163.com

America’s last pandas expected to leave Atlanta for China this autumn

Lun Lun and Yang Yang, along with their US-born twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun, are likely to be returned between October and December, though there is no set date.

18 May 2024 - 1:45AM

Explainer | Perfect job? Animal carer chased, bitten by pandas shows they are wild not cute

Caring for giant pandas might seem like a wonderful job, but it is not without its risks, as one keeper discovered when she was ploughed into by two of the creatures recently.

12 May 2024 - 2:17PM

Chinese giant panda pair to take up residence in San Diego

The announcement comes close on the heels of US secretary of state’s meeting with Chinese president.

27 Apr 2024 - 5:43PMvideocam

Giant panda Xin Bao will make the trip across the Pacific to San Diego Zoo. Photo: Weibo/澎湃新闻

2 Chinese giant pandas destined for San Francisco next year

Announcement comes as US city’s mayor, London Breed, nears the end of a weeklong trip to China and just days before US secretary of state is expected in Beijing.

19 Apr 2024 - 9:00PMvideocam

Panda Fu Bao starts China quarantine but concerns over airport treatment remain

Staff from Everland zoo near Seoul confirm she’s in ‘stable health’ after check-up. But concerns have been raised on social media over her treatment at the airport.

4 Apr 2024 - 9:41PMvideocam

Chinese scientists uncover genetic secret behind brown pandas

Team finds genetic mutation in Bace2 gene appears to cause unusual colour variation in China’s most beloved animal, and they say the research could ‘guide scientific breeding’ of the rare bears.

7 Mar 2024 - 9:00AMvideocam

Qizai, who was found in the wild as a cub, is the world’s only brown panda living in captivity. Photo: Weibo / CCTV

South Koreans bid farewell to panda Fu Bao

4 Mar 2024 - 7:08PM

03:45

‘Fu Bao is a friend’: South Koreans say goodbye to panda ahead of China voyage

The beloved panda in South Korea’s Everland amusement park will be moved to China’s Sichuan province in April after spending a month in quarantine.

4 Mar 2024 - 12:56AM

The return of panda diplomacy: what it suggests about China-US relations

Beijing resumes lending bears to US zoos in a soft-power bid to improve ties with Washington.

29 Feb 2024 - 10:46PMvideocam

Pandas coming back to US as China’s ‘envoys for friendship’

Cooperation deal with San Diego Zoo marks China’s latest effort to improve relations with the West.

22 Feb 2024 - 8:01PMvideocam

Gao Gao, a former resident of the San Diego Zoo, returned to China in 2018. Photo: San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

Wang Yi warns against confrontation as US and China mark 45 years of ties

Speaking at event to mark anniversary of US-China relations, Chinese foreign minister says ‘artificial decoupling and containment’ will ‘backfire’, while noting progress in military communications and anti-narcotics cooperation.

6 Jan 2024 - 6:00PMvideocam

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi gives a toast at a reception commemorating the 45th anniversary of China-US diplomatic ties in Beijing on Friday. Photo: EPA-EFE

Giant pandas at China base to shut out tourists every Monday from Christmas Day

Crowd control measure is second announced within days in bid to protect health and well-being of the vulnerable animals at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

24 Dec 2023 - 2:57PMvideocam

Singaporeans bid ‘bittersweet’ farewell to China-bound panda cub Le Le

Le Le, the first panda to be born in Singapore, made his final public appearance at the River Wonders wildlife park before a month-long quarantine ahead of his departure to China.

14 Dec 2023 - 2:09PMvideocam

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Pandas

Giant pandas are native to south central China. There are only about 1,800 in the wild, according to conservation organisation WWF.