China pledges a pair of pandas to the United States for the first time in decades

China for the first time in more than two decades is sending pandas to the United States. The San Diego Zoo is preparing to receive a pair that could include a female descendant of Bai Yun and Gao Gao, two of the zoo’s former residents. San Diego Zoo officials told The Associated Press that if all permits and other requirements are approved, the two bears, a male and a female, are expected to arrive by the end of summer.

On Feb. 22, the China Wildlife Conservation Association said it also signed agreements with the zoo in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and is in talks with zoos in Washington, D.C., and Vienna.

Where do giant pandas live?

Central China, home to the only natural habitat for giant pandas, has ownership of most of the giant pandas in the world. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, 1,864 pandas are alive today.

Timeline of panda diplomacy in the U.S.

Pandas have been a symbol of diplomacy between the U.S. and China since 1972, when China gifted a pair to the National Zoo in Washington. Lending pandas to zoos across the U.S. and other countries also encourages reproduction and helps save the giant pandas from extinction.

Four zoos in the U.S. have hosted pandas since 1972.

Zoos that host pandas outside China usually agree to send cubs back before they turn 4 and send adults back when they are elderly.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; IUCN; World Wildlife Federation; Pandas International: Associated Press