Enter the World of China’s Giant Pandas
When you think of giant pandas in their native habitats, do you imagine them spending their days lounging in leafy glades surrounded by vast, flat expanses of fast-growing bamboo stalks? If so, you’re not alone. But think again.
The bears’ native bamboo forests in China are dynamic, colorful, and incredibly diverse landscapes in mountainous areas that compel active exploration. They are among the most scenic—and vulnerable—places on the planet. At Panda Ridge, San Diego Zoo guests will have the opportunity to step inside these remarkable forests and discover new perspectives on how these iconic and beloved bears live their lives.
Panda Ridge offers expansive new experiences for both giant pandas and guests, with areas for learning and discovery about these bears, their vibrant ecosystems, and ongoing conservation efforts to secure their future.
To welcome the next generation of giant pandas, we’ve created a unique, new-generation environment. Panda Ridge is inspired by the breathtaking verdant landscapes and natural beauty of areas in and around giant pandas’ native habitats in Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces. Located in the heart of the Zoo’s Asian Passage, this special place offers an expanded, enhanced, and immersive naturalistic habitat for Xin Bao, a nearly four-year-old female, and Yun Chuan, an almost five-year-old male, to explore.
Reflecting the rocky and mountainous forests of China, Panda Ridge’s dynamic, colorful, and incredibly diverse landscapes compel active exploration.
The multidimensional habitats are four times larger than the previous space, and there is much to discover: rocky and mountainous areas, large full trees for climbing, a diverse array of plants, and hillsides that allow pandas to navigate and explore vertically, just as they do in China. Panda Ridge will offer expansive new experiences for giant pandas and guests alike, with new areas for learning and discovery about these bears, their vibrant ecosystems, and ongoing conservation efforts to secure their future. Here, you’ll experience the bears exploring and climbing among tall grasses, tree lines, and shrubs, much like how conservationists and scientists encounter giant pandas in China.
The pair’s arrival is the latest chapter in our long-running collaborative partnership with China Wildlife Conservation Association. Working closely together for the last 30 years, we have transformed conservation—and the future—for this once endangered species. Our work in the coming years will address vital issues of panda health and well-being, help prepare giant pandas for future translocations to their native habitats, develop new and emerging technologies for conservation strategies, and share insights to help conserve giant pandas and their fragile ecosystems.
When guests enter Panda Ridge, they will experience pandas exploring and climbing among tall grasses, tree lines, and shrubs, much like how conservationists and scientists encounter these iconic bears in China.
Securing the future for wildlife begins with people, and with understanding. When you step into the compelling new Panda Ridge experience, you’ll have unparalleled opportunities to enter the world of giant pandas and create lifelong connections with them. Here you’ll discover more about their vulnerable habitats and the challenges they currently face, finding inspiration to help save and protect them. Giant pandas are a keystone species, inherently connected to the health of their native ecosystems—and both need to be protected.
While experiencing Panda Ridge, visitors will become immersed in the mountain forests that are home to giant pandas, while discovering more about the lives of these remarkable “bamboo bears.”
Pandas are unusual in a number of ways, including that they eat only one food. As you traverse the space, you’ll also discover more about their bamboo diet. All the bamboo they rely on is sustainably grown in our accredited botanical collections at the San Diego Zoo and the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Of the 135 varieties grown here, select species make up the pandas’ daily diet and others are offered to provide variety. Informative signage spotlights some of these species, including the varieties most preferred by giant pandas. In addition, a new, advanced cinematic camera system has been configured for Panda Cam, which will provide unparalleled viewing opportunities for fans around the world to connect with and be inspired by these magnificent and beloved bears.
Key elements of the Panda Ridge habitats are inspired by the breathtaking verdant landscapes and natural beauty of areas in and around China’s Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi provinces.
We are honored to share this extraordinary opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of giant pandas and the importance of protecting them. Panda Ridge offers an immersive experience while sharing the species conservation story, incorporating iconic features from native ecosystems, and offering an unforgettable experience that transports guests of all ages across the globe while creating moments and memories that will last a lifetime. Each visit is one spark of hope that can ignite a better future where pandas thrive. We can’t wait to see you soon at the San Diego Zoo.
For the latest information on how and when to visit giant pandas at the San Diego Zoo, check out our Giant Panda FAQs. Zoo guests can secure a complimentary Giant Panda Timed Ticket or make reservations for a premium Early Morning with Pandas Walking Tour.
