China to send 2 giant pandas to Munich zoo under 10-year conservation program

MUNICH, Germany -- The China Wildlife Conservation Association on Wednesday signed a cooperation agreement with Munich's Hellabrunn Zoo on giant panda conservation, under which two giant pandas from China will come to the zoo for a 10-year program.

The association said in a statement that Chinese experts have conducted multiple inspection and assessment visits to Munich to help ensure the two giant pandas will live in good health at Hellabrunn Zoo.

Germany already hosts giant pandas at Zoo Berlin. In 2017, pandas Meng Meng and Jiao Qing arrived from Chengdu under a 15-year cooperation arrangement. Meng Meng gave birth to twins Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan in 2019, marking the first giant panda birth in Germany. The male cubs returned to China in December 2023.

On Aug 22, 2024, Meng Meng gave birth to another set of twin cubs, both females, named Meng Hao and Meng Tian. Zoo Berlin said the cubs are expected to remain in Berlin for two to four years before returning to China.