San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie says City Hall is in active talks to bring giant pandas back to the San Francisco Zoo as he gears up for an official swing through China and South Korea later this month. Lurie is pitching the conversations as part of a broader push to deepen cultural and tourism ties and, in his words, to lean into our arts and culture. The renewed panda chatter comes after years of on-and-off efforts, first rolled out publicly during former Mayor London Breed's administration, to land a marquee panda residency for the zoo.
What Lurie told reporters
According to ABC7, Lurie told reporters that San Francisco is "in dialogue" about bringing pandas to the San Francisco Zoo and stressed that the talks are still preliminary, not a signed agreement. The station also cited cultural leaders who described any future panda exhibit as a form of people-to-people exchange that would sit alongside more traditional diplomatic meetings.
Trip details and delegation
The San Francisco Standard reports that Lurie is slated to leave for China on April 17, traveling from Shanghai to Seoul and meeting with cultural and business partners along the way. The outlet notes that he will be joined by representatives from local arts and tourism groups, and that some of the travel costs for accompanying city staff will be covered by the airport tourism fund rather than the city's general budget.
Where the panda plan started
The current panda push traces back to an April 2024 memorandum announced by then-Mayor London Breed, when San Francisco signed an agreement with Chinese wildlife officials to explore a panda residency, according to the city's press office. The San Francisco Chronicle later outlined the fundraising goals and the estimated multimillion-dollar cost of building an exhibit that could properly house the animals, while Hoodline coverage recapped the zoo's leadership changes and oversight disputes.
Costs, permits and critics
Critics have questioned whether the zoo is ready for such a high-profile animal, pointing to aging infrastructure and past audit findings. The Los Angeles Times and other outlets have detailed a long-running tug-of-war over whether zoo leaders should focus first on basic repairs or chase a star attraction. Local coverage has also noted that hosting pandas usually requires a federal import permit, along with lengthy advance planning and approvals.
Zoo leadership says work continues
The zoo's new executive team maintains that the groundwork for pandas is still moving forward. Axios reported in March 2026 that the San Francisco Zoo told the outlet its panda plans remain "on track" despite a recent organizational restructuring. At the same time, watchdog groups and some donors have urged city officials and zoo leaders to slow down until safety upgrades and staffing improvements are completed.
What comes next
Even if conversations with Chinese counterparts advance during Lurie's upcoming trip, the timing for any actual panda arrival remains murky. The San Francisco Chronicle has noted that securing a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service import permit can take many months and that Chinese officials still have to decide which animals, if any, will be loaned. For now, city officials and zoo leadership are casting the talks as diplomatic and exploratory, a necessary step toward bringing pandas back to San Francisco but far from a sure thing.
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