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Zoo Atlanta: Ya Lun and Xi Lun are Turning 3!
September 3, 2019 @ 10:30 am - 2:30 pm
Zoo Atlanta: Ya Lun and Xi Lun are Turning 3!
September 3
10:30 a.m. and between 1:30 and 2:15 p.m.
Ya Lun and Xi Lun the giant panda twins turn 3 on September 3! Since we’re celebrating two special bears, we’re hosting two opportunities to wish them well. Join us on their birthday on Tuesday, September 3, when we’ll celebrate them twice!
The twins will receive birthday surprises at 10:30 a.m. and between 1:30 and 2:15 p.m. on September 3. Join us at The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center for one or both opportunities!
Remember, giant pandas are on their own schedule. Times may not be exact.
About Ya Lun and Xi Lun and the giant panda program at Zoo Atlanta
Ya Lun and Xi Lun are the only giant panda twins in the U.S. and are the sixth and seventh offspring of Lun Lun and Yang Yang. Their older brothers and sisters include Mei Lan (born 2006); Xi Lan (born 2008); Po (born 2010); and Mei Lun and Mei Huan (born 2013).
Giant pandas represent Zoo Atlanta’s most significant long-term investment in wildlife conservation. The giant panda program at Zoo Atlanta dates to the mid-1990s, prior to the debut of giant panda pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang, who arrived in 1999 on loan from China. Zoo Atlanta initiated its giant panda loan with its primary Chinese partners, the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG), the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and the Chengdu Zoo.
Zoo Atlanta scientists developed a program focused on using behavioral and veterinary research to understand, support, and lengthen maternal care; improve reproductive success and well-being; understand giant pandas’ cognitive and perceptual abilities; and improve health, including preventative medicine. Zoo Atlanta’s relationship with the Chengdu Research Base and Chengdu Zoo also led to the creation of conservation education departments at these institutions – the first of their kind in Chinese zoos. In 2012, Zoo Atlanta and partners Smithsonian’s National Zoological Park, Memphis Zoo and San Diego Zoo Global earned the prestigious International Conservation Award from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for their long-term commitment to the species.
