The giant pandas of Beauval Zoo

🐼 Who are the Beauval giant pandas in 2026?

In 2026, the giant pandas at ZooParc de Beauval are the twins Huanlili and Yuandudu, born at Beauval on 2 August 2021. They are the only two giant pandas living in France.

They are at Beauval until at least January 2027. Like all giant pandas loaned by China, they will leave one day, but no departure date has been announced.

The pandas after January 2027: what we know

On 4 December 2025, France and China signed a letter of intent renewing their cooperation with Beauval. It provides for two things:

• the twins staying until at least January 2027
• the arrival of a new pair of giant pandas (a male and a female)

No official date has been given for this arrival. The day after the agreement, the ZooParc's director mentioned "early 2027 at the latest": an estimate, not a date.

In its FAQ of 1 September 2026, the ZooParc stated that the identity of the future pandas had not yet been announced.

🇬🇧 Giant pandas and the UK

The UK's only giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, left Edinburgh Zoo on 4 December 2023 to return to China, after twelve years in Scotland.

Since then, British families who want to see giant pandas have had to look abroad. Beauval, a ferry crossing and a day's drive away, is one of the closest options, alongside Pairi Daiza in Belgium: see Beauval or Pairi Daiza?

The history of the pandas at Beauval

The panda story at Beauval began in 2012, when the zoo welcomed Huan Huan (female) and Yuan Zi (male) under a Franco-Chinese cooperation agreement.

• 2012: Huan Huan and Yuan Zi arrive at Beauval
• 4 August 2017: birth of Yuan Meng, the first giant panda ever born in France
• 2 August 2021: birth of the twins Huanlili and Yuandudu at Beauval
• July 2023: Yuan Meng returns to China
• 25 November 2025: Huan Huan and Yuan Zi return to China
• 4 December 2025: France-China letter of intent: the twins stay until at least January 2027 and a new pair is planned
• 2 August 2026: Huanlili and Yuandudu celebrate their 5th birthday at Beauval

Where to see the pandas at Beauval

The panda area is in the Heights of China territory. It has indoor and outdoor enclosures, with large windows to watch the animals from a few metres away.

There is no organised queue at the giant panda area, even in high season.

When are they active?

The giant panda spends much of its day eating bamboo (up to 14 hours a day) and sleeping. To see them on the move:

• In the morning from opening (9-11am): breakfast time, the pandas move around and eat
• In the late afternoon: a second burst of activity as the temperature drops
• Avoid the middle of the day: they often sleep curled up, hard to photograph

The giant panda: a species still under threat

There are around 1,900 giant pandas in the wild, mainly in the bamboo forests of Sichuan, China. Despite a slight improvement in their status (from "endangered" to "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List in 2016), the species remains fragile.

Zoos taking part in the international breeding programme, including Beauval, play an important role in its conservation. All pandas in zoos remain the property of China, hence the regular "returns".

• Species: Ailuropoda melanoleuca
• Adult size: 1.2 to 1.8 m long, 70 to 125 kg
• Life expectancy in zoos: 20 to 30 years
• Diet: 99% bamboo, supplemented with fruit and eggs
• Estimated wild population: around 1,900

Not to be confused with the red panda

Beauval is also home to red pandas, a completely different species despite the name. The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is the size of a large cat, with distinctive russet fur.

It lives in the Heights of China, near the giant pandas, but in a separate enclosure. A red panda cub was born there on 4 July 2026. All about the red panda at Beauval.

Practical info: pandas at Beauval

To plan your visit: complete Beauval guide | 10 practical tips | suggested itinerary | book your tickets | all the must-see animals