After more than a decade in the spotlight at Beauval Zoo, the famous giant panda couple Huan Huan and Yuan Zi are preparing to leave France. Their return to China is scheduled for the end of November, a decision reached in agreement with Beijing authorities. The decision was based on the health of the female, who suffers from chronic kidney failure.
Rodolphe Delord, director of the Loir-et-Cher Zoo, noted that despite the diagnosis, the animal maintains a normal appetite and behavior. However, caution prevailed: the French team deemed it safer to entrust her to the specialized care of the Chengdu Conservation Center, the global epicenter of giant panda research and reproduction.
The Beauval panda couple returns to China: an early departure
The move to China The arrival of the Beauval panda couple comes ahead of the initial agreement, which stipulated their stay until 2027. The two pandas, both seventeen years old, will thus leave the scene, while their twin cubs, Huanlili and Yuandudu, will remain in Beauval for the time being as conservation ambassadors. This isn't the first time pandas have become protagonists of true animal "soft power": the eldest, Yuan Meng, born in 2017, had already attracted international media attention before being repatriated in 2024.
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From arrival to the “golden pension”
Having landed in France in January 2012, the two pandas spent years under constant veterinary supervision, receiving shared care from French and Chinese teams. Given their average life expectancy of around 35 years, their return home appears to be a transition to a peaceful "golden retirement" in a well-equipped, state-of-the-art center.
A symbol beyond biology
The story isn't limited to the veterinary chapter. Since their arrival, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi have embodied a special relationship between Paris and Beijing, becoming a bridge of cultural and scientific diplomacy. Not only that, they have given birth to three cubs, a historic event for France, helping to raise awareness of the importance of protecting an endangered species. ZooParc, which welcomed two million visitors in 2023 and generated €113 million in revenue, now aims to maintain its ties with China. Delord has already announced his intention to negotiate an extension of the partnership beyond 2027, with the hope of hosting more pandas in the future.