Giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta

In the mid 80’s Zoo Atlanta became interested to host a couple of giant pandas. Former President Jimmy Carter, who still had good contacts among the Chinese leaders, made a request on behalf of Zoo Atlanta during one of his trips to China.

In September 1987, Zoo Atlanta director Terry L. Maple was invited to Beijing by the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. When he left China, he returned to Atlanta with a short-term loan agreement. However, this short-term loan did not take place. The World Wildlife Fund had a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service on panda loans. And with the American Zoo Association supporting the WWF, this did not seem to be a good time for Zoo Atlanta to buck the trend.

Instead Zoo Atlanta started to think about a long-term loan model, which would be a better way to exhibit pandas. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service approved their application to import two giant pandas on June 15, 1999.

On November 5, 1999, Zoo Atlanta received a young pair of giant pandas from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. United Parcel Service (UPS) airlifted the pandas from Beijing to Atlanta on a 10 year breeding loan. Lun Lun & Yang Yang made their trip in a specially equipped and custom-painted Boeing 767 UPS cargo plane.

When Lun Lun & Yang Yang arrived at Zoo Atlanta in 1999, the Zoo build a brand new panda exhibit. You can visit the pandas at the The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center. The public area contains 2 outside exhibits and 2 air conditioned rooms.

On June 17, 2009, Zoo officials launched Give So They Stay, a major fundraising effort to keep giant pandas in Atlanta. In the fall of 2009, Zoo Atlanta’s President and CEO, Dennis Kelly held discussions with officials in China to negotiate a new giant panda agreement. On December 8, 2009 Zoo Atlanta’s Board of Directors approved a new five year giant panda loan agreement.