SAN DIEGO (NEWSnet/AP) — A pair of giant pandas will soon make the journey from China to the U.S., where they will be cared for at the San Diego Zoo as part of an ongoing conservation partnership between the two nations, officials said Monday.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance said its caretakers recently visited China to meet the giant pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, ahead of their planned trip to Southern California. An exact date for the handoff hasn’t been set.

The China Wildlife and Conservation Association has sent pandas to the U.S. since 1972.

Under the pact, The Smithsonian, Atlanta, Memphis and San Diego zoos all received pandas and worked with China on research and conservation projects.

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