Zoo Atlanta has 4 giant pandas: Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Xi Lan & cub 2010

Georgia’s Giant Panda Project

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. The pandas made their trip in a specially equipped and custom-painted Boeing 767 UPS cargo plane. The pandas will live at the The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Giant Panda Conservation Center. Lun Lun and Yang Yang will stay in Atlanta for 10 years. 

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. 

Lun Lun

Lun Lun (female) was born on August 25, 1997 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. 

She has studbook number 452. 

Lun Lun’s birth name given to her by keepers in Chengdu was Hua Hua. She was renamed by a Taiwanese rock star, Su Huilun, who “adopted” her at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. 

Her mother is Bing Bing (314) and her father is Lin Nan (298). 

Lun Lun was separated from her mother when she was 4 months old,  although she was not totally isolated from other pandas. She has lived with Yang Yang since she was 1 year old. 

She came to Zoo Atlanta on November 5, 1999 with Yang Yang. 

Lun Lun is the mother of Mei Lan & Xi Lan. 

Yang Yang

Yang Yang (male) was born on September 9, 1997 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
He has studbook number 461. 
His name means “Little Sea” in Chinese. 

Yang Yang’s birth name was Jiu Jiu. He was renamed by three organizations in the Netherlands that “adopted” him at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. 

His mother is Ya Ya (362) and his father is Zhen Zhen (306). 

Yang Yang remained with his mother for 13 months as part of of a behavioral study conducted by Zoo Atlanta researchers in collaboration with the CRBGPB.  

He came to Zoo Atlanta on November 5, 1999 with Lun Lun. 

Yang Yang is the father of Mei Lan & Xi Lan. 

Xi Lan

Xi Lan (male) was born on August 30, 2008 at Zoo Atlanta. 

His name means “Atlanta’s Joy” in Chinese. 

His mother is Lun Lun (452) and her father is Yang Yang (461). 
He is the second cub to be born at Zoo Atlanta. 

Atlanta cub 2010

He (male) was born on November 3, 2010 at Zoo Atlanta.

His mother is Lun Lun (452) and her father is Yang Yang (461).
He is the third cub to be born at Zoo Atlanta.