Giant pandas are not only adorable and remarkably human-like, but they are also rare animals highly desired by zoos worldwide. However, these pandas are found only in China and are listed as vulnerable on international and national species lists.

Giant pandas are native to China and primarily live in a few mountain ranges in central China, mainly in Sichuan and neighboring Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Their natural habitat consists of temperate broadleaf and mixed forests with a dense understory of bamboo, which constitutes their primary diet.

In the wild, pandas inhabit elevations ranging from 1,200 to 3,100 meters (3,900 to 10,200 feet). These mountainous regions provide the cool, moist climate that pandas prefer and support the growth of various bamboo species essential for their diet.

Giant pandas have a highly specialized diet that consists primarily of bamboo. An adult panda consumes between 26 and 84 pounds (12 to 38 kilograms) of bamboo daily to meet their nutritional needs. Bamboo is low in nutrients, so pandas must eat a large quantity to obtain sufficient energy. In addition to bamboo, which makes up about 99% of their diet, pandas may occasionally eat other foods such as grasses, roots, or fruits. Due to their large consumption needs, pandas eat 10 to 16 hours daily. The rest of their time is spent resting, as their low-energy diet requires them to conserve energy when not feeding. In captivity, pandas’ diets are supplemented with specially formulated biscuits, apples, carrots, and other nutritious foods to ensure they receive all the necessary vitamins and minerals.

In addition to their natural habitats, many pandas live in zoos and breeding centers worldwide as part of conservation and research programs. After a significant increase in recent years, China now boasts a network of 67 panda reserves, safeguarding more than 66% of the giant pandas in the wild and almost 54% of their existing habitat.

Notable panda reserves and breeding centers in China include the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries . These facilities focus on breeding, research, and efforts to reintroduce pandas into the wild. The Chinese government has historically treated pandas as national treasures, with international transfers requiring approval at the highest levels.

Panda Diplomacy

Panda diplomacy, the practice of sending pandas as diplomatic gifts, dates back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE). In modern times, this practice was revived in 1972 when US President Richard Nixon made a historic journey to China, ending over two decades of tension between the two countries. Just two months after Nixon’s visit, an 18-month-old pair of pandas arrived in the United States as a gift from Premier Zhou Enlai, symbolizing a new chapter in US-China relations.

Throughout the 1980s, China’s approach to panda diplomacy evolved. Initially, China presented giant pandas as state gifts to select countries. However, by the mid-1980s, China began allowing short-term, non-permanent panda visits to selected zoos. This period became known as the “rent-a-panda” era, during which China charged roughly $100,000 monthly for a pair of pandas. The Chinese government introduced a new framework for panda loans in 1992. This framework, still in effect today, emphasizes long-term cooperative research. Under this framework, a breeding pair of pandas is typically loaned for ten years at an annual fee of $1 million. Zoos can obtain pandas through the China Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG) or the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA), affiliated with a central government ministry.

Panda reproduction is a slow and challenging process. Female pandas can conceive only once a year for three days and usually produce a single cub, which they raise for three years. Female pandas typically reproduce over 15 years, starting at five. Artificial insemination techniques have improved the likelihood of successful reproduction in captivity, although it remains low. Chinese and international research advances have significantly enhanced breeding expertise over the past two decades.

Today, the wild population of giant pandas has grown from around 1,100 in the 1980s to 1,900 in 2023. There are currently 728 pandas in zoos and breeding centers around the world.

Recent conservation efforts aim to increase the captive population further and reintroduce more pandas into their natural habitats. Key initiatives include habitat preservation, international collaboration on research, and improved captive breeding techniques. Reintroduction programs aim to reach a stable captive population of 500 pandas and enhance the wild population.

The Return of Panda Diplomacy

In 2024, panda diplomacy returned to prominence with new panda additions to the San Diego Zoo. The China Wildlife Conservation Association recently announced agreements to loan giant pandas to zoos in Spain and the United States, highlighting the continued importance of panda diplomacy. According to Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry, these agreements represent a new round of international cooperation in giant panda conservation.

This development follows China’s 2023 recall of three giant pandas from the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and one from the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee. This leaves only four pandas in the United States, all at the zoo in Atlanta, Georgia. Similarly, in the UK, two pandas at the Edinburgh Zoo were recalled in 2023. These recalls occurred during strained relations between China and the West, marked by tense security, humanitarian, and economic challenges.

However, in February 2024, a new deal between the San Diego Zoo and China’s Wildlife Conservation Association paved the way for the return of Chinese giant pandas to the US by the end of the summer. This move suggests a warming of US-China relations. For decades, China has used panda diplomacy as a soft power tool, sending pandas as symbols of friendship and strengthening national ties. By sending pandas to California, home to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, China aims to improve its political and economic relationships with the US.

In November 2023, China’s President Xi Jinping held a four-hour summit with President Joe Biden at the San Francisco Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference, signaling a potential rapprochement. Xi emphasized the importance of US-China relations and expressed China’s readiness to continue cooperation on panda conservation. This gesture, alongside meetings with tech executives, underscored California’s significance to China’s strategy to enhance its artificial intelligence capacity and economic growth.

Ultimately, Beijing’s decision to send pandas back to the US is part of a broader strategy to improve political relations with the Biden administration. Panda diplomacy remains a powerful symbol of China’s soft power and its commitment to fostering international goodwill.

Negotiation Exercise.

In 2025, after years of communication with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG) concerning a loan of giant pandas, Horizon Wildlife Park officials recognize a prime opportunity to intensify their efforts and initiate formal negotiations. They designate a Chinese-American spokesperson and discuss partnering with Wilderness Haven Park. However, the Americans face significant challenges. Giant pandas are a rare species native to China and are in high demand as “star attractions” by zoos worldwide. Political and economic factors within and between the two countries further complicate the situation.

This bilateral negotiation exercise involves two three-person teams.

The American team consists of:

• The CEO of Frontier Wildlife Park – Orest, Michelle
• The Chinese-American chair of Frontier Park’s panda acquisition task force- Kong
• The CEO of Wilderness Haven Park – Alex, Brianna, Ferdy, Heilyn

The Chinese team consists of:

• The secretary general of CAZG -Josh, Rea
• The deputy secretary general of CAZG- Xianying, Yihang
• A CAZG staff member -Zirou, Keijan