The Zoo's new pair of Giant Pandas land in Madrid

Accompanied by a Spanish-Chinese team of veterinarians and keepers, Jin Xi and Zhu Yu are already resting at Madrid Zoo.

Madrid, 30 April 2024.  Yesterday, at 5:50 p.m. Spanish time, the new pair of Madrid´s giant pandas landed at the Cargo Terminal of Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport, male Jin Xi (1/9/2020) and female Zhu Yu (25/10/2020). On an exclusive flight from Chengdu to Madrid, they have been accompanied by one of their caretakers and a veterinarian from the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding, and all comforts have been taken care of.

The young couple travelled at a temperature of 18ºC, with 200 kilos of bamboo in eight boxes. On their arrival in Madrid, they were met by the Madrid Zoo's Veterinary and Conservation team and several patrols from SEPRONA of the Guardia Civil, who were later joined by the Municipal Police to escort them to the Madrid Zoo.

A special dinner was waiting for them at the Zoo with freshly cut bamboo shoots, their favorite, with attention to the smallest detail in this welcoming to their new home in Madrid. To get to know them, we will have to be patient, as there is now a month ahead to certify their good health, says Eva Martínez, the Zoo's veterinarian.  "The sanitary quarantine usually lasts a month during which we closely follow many details of their adaptation, with limited access to the facilities of their keepers and veterinarians in Chengdu and the Zoo. If all goes well, by the end of May, they will be able to meet each other. For the moment, we can say that they are two young animals, very active and in good health, the male Jin Xi weighs about 110 kilos and Zhu Yu, 98 kg". 

In recent years, Madrid has become one of the points of reference in Europe in the breeding and reproduction of the giant panda, which from China is considered a success, with six cubs born, since 2010, in the Madrid Zoo. "We can say that Spain is privileged and in particular Madrid, because there have been very few renewals of the Collaboration Agreement for the Conservation, Research and Breeding of the Giant Panda in the rest of the world's zoos and here, all the conditions have been met for China Wildlife Conservation Association- CWCA to trust in Madrid Zoo. We are very excited about this new phase, which will last for a period of 10 years", says the Zoo's director of biology, Agustín López.

A new phase of challenges to continue improving the future of this species, whose conservation status has improved in recent years with around 1900 specimens in the wild and 728 in zoological institutions and breeding centers around the world. In the case of Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, "we will have to wait 2 or 3 years before they can reproduce because they are still young and have to mature", says María Declaux, head of the Zoo's Endangered Species Conservation Programs.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Jin Xi and Zhu Yu has become an exciting moment for the whole team, especially for their keepers. Rebeca Ortega, a panda keeper for 16 years, describes this stage with special excitement, "it is starting a new adventure with the advantage of experience and a very successful previous phase. This will help us both to adapt more easily. We are the ones who will be adapting to the animals' rhythms with the times they need. They will get to know us little by little and we will even learn to pronounce their name in Chinese so that they get used to our voice".

This exciting event marks a milestone in the collaboration between China and Spain in the conservation of this species classified as Vulnerable, according to the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Visitors to Madrid Zoo will have the opportunity to meet these wonderful animals at the end of May and learn more about their habitat, behavior and the important role zoos play today in housing and breeding endangered species such as this one. Jin Xi and Zhu Yu are the new pair of pandas in Madrid.

About Zoo Aquarium of Madrid

Located in the lungs of the city, Zoo de Madrid was inaugurated on 23 June 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 programs for endangered species such as the white and Indian rhinoceros, giant otters, the Bornean orangutan, the coastal gorilla, the imperial eagle and many more. Among some of these projects, they are working on the reintroduction of extinct species into the wild, such as the giant otter, the dorcas gazelle and they are also working on the release of eagle owls and barn owls in the Community of Madrid.

More information: comunicacion@zoomadrid.com

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