Giant panda twins to be transferred to Chengdu in October, return status uncertain

Macau’s giant panda twins “Jian Jian” and “Kang Kang” will be transferred to the Chengdu Panda Breeding Base in October as planned, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced on Friday – but whether they will ever return to Macau remains unclear.

Giant pandas “Jian Jian” and “Kang Kang” – twin brothers born in Macau to “Kai Kai” and “Xin Xin,” the pair gifted by the central government in 2015 – celebrated their 10th birthday on Saturday.

The IAM hosted a celebratory event at Seac Pai Van Park, during which president Chao Wai Ieng announced a major decision regarding the pandas’ future: the brothers will be relocated to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to commence the next phase of their learning and development.

According to the bureau, the decision to relocate the pandas was made in light of “Jian Jian” and “Kang Kang” reaching adulthood, with the objective of offering them a broader environment to develop wild adaptation capabilities and experience a more natural lifestyle.

Chao stated that the decision had received approval from both the central government and the Macau government. He stressed that, to guarantee the twins’ safe arrival and smooth acclimatization to their new surroundings, the breeding base would maintain close collaboration with the bureau, with a dedicated professional team providing adaptation training and health evaluations.

Upon arrival in Chengdu, the pandas will undergo a quarantine period of at least one month before being housed in a specially upgraded pavilion at the base.

“The pavilion replicates a natural habitat and is equipped with full welfare facilities,” Chao said, noting that the design also incorporates Macau elements. He expressed his hope that the twins would continue to grow healthily in their “new home.”

The future of the two pandas, however, falls under unified national management, with Macau’s role being one of cooperation, according to the bureau. “As to whether they will return in the future, we will maintain close coordination with the central government and the Chengdu base. Giant pandas are now subject to unified state management, and Macau will actively comply with relevant policies,” the bureau stated.

The authority indicated that it currently has no definitive plans concerning the duration of the pandas’ stay in Chengdu – or whether their relocation might be permanent. The bureau further confirmed that there are no plans to introduce new giant pandas to Macau at this time.

According to the bureau, the arrangement reflects the central government’s high regard for giant pandas and other rare animals and is expected to take cross-border conservation cooperation to a new level.

Meanwhile, the welfare of giant pandas in Macau has been a matter of ongoing debate. As early as 2014, press reports quoted animal welfare organizations and commentators expressing concern that Macau’s subtropical climate – characterized by high heat and humidity – diverges significantly from the natural environment of the pandas’ native habitat, potentially heightening adaptive stress and survival risks for the animals.