San Diego Zoo shares first look at new giant pandas following their arrival in US

CNN —

San Diego’s newest giant pandas are acclimating well to their new state-side home, the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said Tuesday.

The zoo shared first-look photos of the pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who are the first giant pandas to enter the United States in 21 years, according to the zoo.

Since their arrival in the Golden State on June 27, the zoo says, “They are acclimating well to their new home in a private habitat and will not be viewable to the public for several weeks.”

Yun Chuan is a nearly five-year-old male who can be identified by his «long, slightly pointed nose,» the zoo said.

Photos of the new residents show Yun Chuan chomping on leaves and Xin Bao lounging in her enclosure.

Yun Chuan is a nearly 5-year-old male born to Zhen Zhen, the fourth cub born at the San Diego Zoo.

“He’s identifiable by his long, slightly pointed nose and seems to be extremely comfortable whether he is exploring on the grass or climbing trees,” the zoo said in the release.

Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female whose name means “precious treasure of prosperity and abundance.”

“She is best recognized by her large, round face and big, fluffy ears, and she enjoys sunbathing quietly and focusing on her favorite food,” the zoo added.

The young pandas are on loan from China after Chinese leader Xi Jinping suggested sending pandas to the San Diego Zoo as “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”

China loans pandas to more than 20 countries under a program often referred to as “panda diplomacy.” Its panda loans to the US stretch back to 1972 – though the number of loans has decreased in recent years as US-China relations worsened.

Over the past few years, pandas from the Memphis Zoo and Smithsonian