Pandas for San Diego Zoo? : China Opens Door to Loan of Rare Black-Eyed, Furry Mammals

San Diego Zoological Society officers will soon head to China in quest of a pair of giant pandas, after being invited by the Chinese government to negotiate a loan of the rare mammals.

Zoological Society President Betty Jo Williams said Wednesday that a letter from Dr. Edgar Liong, a consultant to the China Wildlife Conservation Assn., indicates that the Republic of China would be receptive to a proposal from the San Diego Zoo.

“This is the strongest indication we’ve ever had that the Chinese are willing to share the wonderful giant pandas with the people of San Diego,” Williams said. She said a formal request to the Chinese wildlife group and the Chinese ministry of forestry will be sent this week. Final details of the pandas’ trip may be negotiated in early May when Williams leads a delegation of San Diegans to China.

Among the zoo officials to accompany Williams on the tour will be Executive Director Doug Myers, General Manager Art Risser, General Curator Jim Dolan and consultant Clayton Swanson.

Earlier Quest Failed

In 1979, a San Diego delegation journeyed to China in quest of the giant pandas, armed with 217,000 signatures of local residents requesting that a pair of the rare animals be allowed out of China. The group returned with the promise of pandas, but not with the familiar black-and-white giants that have become almost as popular as teddy bear toys. Arriving instead was a pair of smaller bushy-tailed animals called red bears, which resemble American raccoons.

A zoo official said Wednesday that the earlier quest failed because the Chinese government did not have the proper channels to export the protected giant pandas. Currently, only the National Zoo in Washington and a zoo in Mexico City have giant pandas outside China, the spokeswoman said. She said that zoo officials hope to receive the animals sometime this year.

The bearlike beasts, recognizable from their distinctive black-eye markings and white furry heads, feed exclusively on bamboo shoots and grow to a size of 200 pounds and up to 6 feet in length.