Taipei Zoo has received a pair of endangered red pandas from China, marking a notable event as it is the first animal exchange between the two regions in over a decade. The pandas, a 3-year-old male and a 2-year-old female, will spend a month in quarantine before being acclimated to their new environment and introduced to the public. The male panda has begun to explore its surroundings and eat, while the female has taken a more cautious approach, preferring to observe her new habitat. This exchange is significant given the high tensions between Taiwan and China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. The last time Taipei Zoo received red pandas was in 2014, from a zoo in Fujian province. In return for the pandas, Taipei Zoo will send white-handed gibbons to Shanghai. Despite the strained relations and official contacts being severed, exchanges at the city level continue to occur, reflecting a unique aspect of cross-strait interactions.