San Diego Zoo celebrates first anniversary of giant pandas' public debut

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Friday marked the anniversary of when two giant pandas made their public debut at the San Diego Zoo.

The pair, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, arrived in San Diego from China in June as a gesture of diplomatic goodwill between the U.S. and the East Asian nation.

Their arrival was the first time a giant panda from China had been sent to the U.S. in over two decades, according to the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

Yun Chuan is a five-year-old male with a long, slightly pointed nose whose mother, Zhen Shen, was born at the San Diego Zoo in 2007. Xin Bao is a four-year-old female recognized by her large, round face and fluffy ears.

Both pandas were born at the Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base in Sichuan, China.

On Friday, families from Ronald McDonald House visited the zoo in Balboa Park to celebrate what California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared last year as "California Panda Day."

The families visiting the zoo on Friday received a private tour of the Panda Ridge exhibit, where the black-and-white duo can now be found.

Guests visiting the zoo will need to scan a QR code at the entrance to receive a complimentary timed ticket to Panda Ridge.

The pandas' enclosure is about 6,000 feet in size and has a viewing capacity of no more than 173 guests, which more than doubles the capacity of the previous panda habitat, according to the wildlife alliance.

More information about Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, as well as the zoo's conservation efforts, can be found at sdzwa.org/giantpandas.