{"id":2659,"date":"2026-07-16T06:04:50","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T06:04:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2659"},"modified":"2026-07-16T06:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T06:04:50","slug":"city-in-final-negotiations-to-bring-giant-pandas-to-honolulu-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2659","title":{"rendered":"City in final negotiations to bring giant pandas to Honolulu Zoo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Honolulu may soon become home to giant pandas.<\/p>\n

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the city is in the final stages of negotiations to bring the iconic bears to the Honolulu Zoo.<\/p>\n

Read more Hauula Elementary students name Hawaiian monk seal pup<\/a><\/p>\n

Blangiardi announced this week that Honolulu has received unofficial approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping, moving the city ahead of other applicants seeking to host the endangered animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been told officially we\u2019ve got the go-ahead from President Xi Jinping, which is a big green light,\u201d Blangiardi said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been moved into the number-one position over San Francisco.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Honolulu was one of about a dozen applicants hoping to borrow giant pandas from China, which owns nearly all giant pandas worldwide and loans them to select zoos through international conservation agreements.<\/p>\n

City leaders believe pandas would become a major attraction for both residents and visitors.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonolulu needs more things and it definitely needs things to attract people, especially to the zoo,\u201d said Honolulu resident Lee Spitler, who frequently visits the zoo with his family.<\/p>\n

The Honolulu Zoo currently welcomes about 500,000 visitors annually. Zoo officials say attendance increased by approximately 10% over the past year, and city leaders expect pandas could further boost visitation while benefiting nearby hotels, restaurants and businesses in Waikiki.<\/p>\n

Only a handful of giant pandas currently reside in U.S. zoos, making the animals a rare attraction nationwide.<\/p>\n

Residents and visitors alike say the addition would enhance educational opportunities and encourage repeat visits.<\/p>\n

Read more Mokulele passenger claims white object approached plane mid-flight<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m actually a teacher and I teach second grade, so we actually do extinct and endangered animals,\u201d said Honolulu resident Ashley Nakazato. \u201cSeeing a panda in person for the students would be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tourist Shelly Hall of Indianapolis said pandas would provide another reason to return to Hawaii.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt would make you want to come back because you would see a panda, and there\u2019s not many in all the zoos,\u201d Hall said.<\/p>\n

Blangiardi said the city is now working through final agreements and logistical details with Chinese officials.<\/p>\n

The cost of constructing a panda exhibit has not yet been determined. City officials said bids for the project cannot be solicited until formal approval is received from the Chinese government.<\/p>\n

If an agreement is finalized, Honolulu officials say the zoo would work closely with Chinese experts and follow established international standards for giant panda care and conservation.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Blangiardi said bringing pandas to Honolulu would significantly elevate the zoo\u2019s profile.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think if we\u2019re successful in bringing the pandas here, it\u2019ll be just great for the zoo, for our local families, just for everybody, because they\u2019re just a major attraction no matter where they are in the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Read more Kauai police chief acknowledges failures in hunt for murder suspect<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi says the city has unofficial approval from Chinese President Xi Jinping as talks continue to bring giant pandas to the Honolulu Zoo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2658,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2659","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\nCity in final negotiations to bring giant pandas to Honolulu Zoo - Hawaii Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=2659\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"City in final negotiations to bring giant pandas to Honolulu Zoo - 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