A new pair of pandas will arrive at Zoo Aquarium Madrid at the end of April

The young pair, male Jin Xi and female Zhu Yu are three years old and will be able to meet each other in the coming weeks, after the sanitary quarantine period.

Madrid, 24 April 2024.  The Zoo Aquarium of Madrid in collaboration with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) is preparing the arrival of a new pair of pandas from the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Base on 29 April.  

The young pair, male Jin Xi (1/9/2020) and female Zhu Yu (25/10/2020), are the ambassadors of the collaboration agreement for the conservation, research and breeding of this Vulnerable species at the Madrid Zoo that will run until 2035, thus renewing the bond of friendship between the two countries for more than three decades.  

Both parties are working closely on the preparations for the direct Chengdu-Madrid flight in order to ensure the arrival of the two pandas with all safety and animal welfare measures. During the trip and the first three months of their stay in Madrid, they will be accompanied by a keeper and a veterinarian from Chengdu who will help them in their adaptation process, also encouraging the exchange of knowledge about the animals together with the Zoo's Conservation team.

The process of preparing the pandas for this trip has been meticulously planned in coordination between both institutions with a quarantine and health controls in both countries. Therefore, in the first phase and after their arrival at the Madrid Zoo, an adaptation period of approximately one month will be necessary, with restricted access and health tests to certify their good health.  

Anecdotally, Jin Xi has a black spot, like a freckle, on his right cheek and Zhu Yu has a particular way of splitting bamboo with his nose. Zhu Yu and her brother were born on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese calendar, a traditional festival with the custom of wearing the Zhu Yu plant (Cornus officinalis) to ward off evil and wish for longevity. Therefore, she was named Zhu Yu, who dispels evil and brings good fortune. She has a gentle and calm personality. Jin Xi, on the other hand, symbolizes happiness and blessings, and from Chendgu they highlight its lively and active character.  

Visitors to Madrid Zoo will soon have the opportunity to admire these wonderful pandas and learn more about their habitat, behaviour and the importance of panda conservation. For this, we will have to wait a few weeks, until the end of May, to meet Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, the new pair of Madrid pandas.

About Zoo Aquarium of Madrid 

Located in the lungs of the city, Madrid Zoo was inaugurated on June 23^rd, 1972 in the surroundings of the Casa de Campo. Within the framework of EAZA (European Association of Zoos and Aquariums), it participates in 63 conservation programmes for endangered species such as the white and Indian rhinoceros, giant otters and the Bornean orangutan. Among some of these projects, it is working on the reintroduction of extinct species in the wild such as the giant otter, the dorcas gazelle or the release of eagle owls and barn owls in the Community of Madrid.

More information: comunicacion@zoomadrid.com

https://www.zoomadrid.com/sala-de-prensa