Plus: SF becomes the largest metro in the nation to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
San Francisco has a rich history with zoological fauna. Before the San Francisco Zoo was founded in 1929, swaths of Golden Gate Park were dedicated to housing exotic animals — seals, zebras, bears, oh my! Nowadays, locals and transients alike must flock to the aforementioned wildlife park to see creatures that would otherwise require a passport to see out in the wild.
San Francsico may be getting a panda! 🐼
Multiple sources tell me SF and San Diego are the two cities vying for a giant panda from China. However, they believe SF has the edge given the city hosted APEC.
The mayor's press office confirms Mayor Breed has been speaking to the… pic.twitter.com/HmWumU9WU9
— Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) January 8, 2024
San Francisco, too, is also home to one of the rarest mammals on the planet: the red panda. Estimates procured by wildlife biologists put their numbers as few as 3,000 in the wild, though some calculations place that same figure at around 10,000… under the most ideal variables. Either way, these animals are incredibly endangered.
But not as endangered as their larger, more well-known sister species, the giant panda.
As of 2024, there are less than 1,900 giant pandas in the wild; another 600 animals or so are currently in facilities, like private and public zoos, as well as government-observed breeding facilities. In the United States, the only zoological facility that has giant pandas on display — animals given by way of a loan program from the Chinese government — is at the Atlanta Zoo.
But soon, San Francisco could join that list… if rumors are to be believed.
According to recent reports, new strides in “panda diplomacy” could bring at least one giant panda from China to the San Francisco Zoo. Per KPIX, SF Mayor London Breed confirmed that the City has put its hat in the ring for a panda — a cap throw-in just weeks after the City hosted
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC, brought dignitaries and diplomates from across the world. (Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a lil’ kiki at SF’s Filoli Estate, where the two heads of state reportedly had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on “strategic and overarching issues” that were critical to Chinese and American issues and cooperations.)
“I think that San Francisco, as our relationship is, is one of the places that is the most significant place that something like this can take place,” said the Mayor when asked about whether or not giant pandas could be coming to San Francisco; it would be the first time in over 40 years. “In light of our history, in light of our already built-in relationship, and also what appears to be a major love affair with San Francisco and the relationship that exists because of the population.”
For decades, China has used its giant pandas as a way to build better relations with other countries by lending them out to zoos. And it’s a means of diplomatic reinforcement that’s capable of drawing hundreds of thousands of people to U.S. zoos where these majestic, clumsy, charismatic bears are kept.
Those hypothetical crowds Breed hopes to match the same fervor as throngs waiting to see Queen Bee live: “You know how people line up to buy tickets overnight for Beyoncé? The same thing. That’s my hope. People will line up overnight to see these pandas.”
What else transpired over the weekend (and these past few days)? Let’s take a look.
- The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. SF Supervisors approved the agenda item Wednesday, calling for an extended cease-fire in Gaza, while also urging the Biden administration to press for the release of all hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid; no votes were cast on behalf of supervisors Catherine Stefani, Matt Dorsey, and Rafael Mandelman. More info.
- Bottlerock’s lineup for May is absolutely fire. Stevie Nicks, Ed Sheeran, and Pearl Jam are all set to headline the three-day music festival, alongside popular returning acts like Megan Thee Stallion and others; three-day passes are already selling quickly, and single-day passes are available for purchase starting today, January 11th. More info.
- Say it ain’t so: Sidebar is closing. The beloved Oakland watering hole is set to shutter on January 27th… just two short years after the bar traded ownership. More info.
- Big ‘ol trucks are returning to Oracle Park for the first time in over a decade. The legendary Monster Jam — a rally and competition that showcases 12,000-pound monster trucks going over all sorts of obstacles — is coming back to San Francisco this year, mostly for weekend happenings. More info.
