San Diego Zoo’s Historic Panda Pair Makes Rose Parade Debut

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, an international nonprofit conservation organization, will showcase its newly arrived giant pandas at the 136th Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day, marking a new chapter in international conservation partnerships.

The 55-foot float features Xin Bao (translated as “precious treasure of prosperity and abundance”) and Yun Chuan (“big river of cloud”), the first giant pandas entering the United States in 20 years.

Marking their fourth consecutive parade appearance, the Wildlife Alliance’s entry builds upon recent successes, including the prestigious 2024 Sweepstakes Award and 2023 Animation Award.

“The concept overall for a float is friendship across the earth, and that is particularly kin to the overall work that we offer every single day – that ability of uniting people across the world, friendships across the earth,” said Marco Wendt, Wildlife Ambassador.

The elaborate design includes a 25-foot ridgeline featuring the giant pandas alongside red pandas and a Malayan tiger, showcasing the accredited botanical garden’s commitment to worldwide wildlife preservation.

“Whether the emperor of the world or a kid from Nevada, giant pandas are for everyone, it really unites people,” Wendt said.

The float will incorporate authentic botanical elements from the Alliance’s own collection, including yellow groove, golden and black bamboo varieties.

“We’ll be highlighting unique plant species of bamboo that we actually grow at the San Diego Zoo,” Wendt said.

Three key figures in the Wildlife Alliance’s panda conservation program – Dr. Megan Owen, Jana Biedenweg, and Dr. Xiaoxing Bian – will ride beneath a cherry blossom tree on the float.

The botanical showcase reflects the San Diego Zoo’s extensive horticultural expertise, maintaining approximately 700,000 individual plants representing 3,100 species across their facilities.

“Up to 20,000 roses, you’re going to be seeing on the float… And again, as you know, it’s not only the roses and other vitamin sea of flowers being represented, but natural material as well,” Wendt said.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, reaching more than one billion people across 150 countries, serves over five million guests annually at their two wildlife parks.