STORY: Americans keen to see return of giant pandas
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 23, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 24, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:35
LOCATION: SAN DIEGO, U.S.
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of San Diego Zoo
2. file of pandas
3. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GEORGE HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
5. SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
6. SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston

STORYLINE:

Panda lovers in the United States received a long-waited injection of hope after Chinese and U.S. wildlife conservation organizations signed a new round of agreement on giant panda conservation this week.

The China Wildlife Conservation Association inked the agreement with the U.S. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance (SDZWA) and Madrid Zoo Aquarium of Spain concerning cooperation on the conservation of giant pandas, as part of efforts to step up the protection of the species on a global level.

The message spread fast among panda lovers in the United States, who are eager to see giant pandas back again. At the San Diego Zoo, many visitors called the news "thrilling," "fantastic" and "amazing."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
"So excited. And it's wonderful for the alliance between the U.S. and China also. I've been in China a number of times, so this is just very thrilling."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): GEORGE HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
"The conservation worked, that they're all doing it together. It's very important. Well again, they're one of the iconic species that people everywhere love, because when you look at them, they're roly-poly ... and when you see them in their habitat, they're rolling around, having fun and eating sugar cane. They just make you happy."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
"Yes. They're one of the most fun animals to watch, I think."

SOUNDBITE 4 (English): LILIAN HALLBERG, Visitor from Boston
"I think that's what the whole thing is about, in many many ways, besides saving the species, it's being an ambassador between the two countries and how incredible to have those big, wonderful, happy animals be ambassadors. It's incredible."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from San Diego, U.S.
(XHTV)