We’re getting new pandas, people! We’re. Getting. New. PANDAS! Specifically, two giant pandas named Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, who will be traveling with handlers from China as they relocate to the San Diego Zoo. For a sense of how monumental this is, bear in mind (had to, not sorry!) that it’s been 20 years since we’ve welcomed new Ailuropoda melanoleuca to our shores. American-Chinese relations may be politically tense, but China is committed to working with conservationists across the globe to protect their special species. They call this practice of sharing their bears with the world, I kid you not, “panda diplomacy.” Bring on the delegation!

Pandas Yun Chuan (pronounced yoon chu-an) and Xin Bao (pronounced sing bao) are coming to the San Diego Zoo from China, making a 7,000-mile trip to their new home.

NBC News correspondent Janis Mackey Frayer shared on TODAY June 25 that the pandas will go into crates transported via truck to an airport for their specialized flight to the U.S. The handlers will make the trip with the pandas, giving them their food and helping them settle once they reach San Diego.

It’s unclear when they will arrive, but the animals will need some time to acclimate as it takes about a month to adjust to the new climate and different food. Once the pandas are situated, those who are interested in visiting them should plan accordingly: The ideal time to see them is in the morning when it hasn’t gotten too hot. Later in the day, they enjoy sleeping in the shade.

Earlier this year, zoo officials visited the pandas in China.

“Our conservation partners in China shared photographs and personality traits of Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, but meeting them in person was so special,” Dr. Megan Owen, vice president of Conservation Science at San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, said in a press release in April.

“It’s inspiring as people from around the world come together to conserve, protect, and care for these special bears, and we can’t wait to welcome them to San Diego,” said Owen.

While it’s not clear when the pandas will arrive, Owen told TODAY in April that it’s essential to bring the animals to the U.S.

“A really important part of having them here is so that we can continue to study them and what we learn from them will contribute to the conservation of the species,” she said.

“But, also, just having the six million visitors that come through our front door every year be able to experience the giant pandas,” she continued. “It’s incredibly inspiring, and it really makes them advocates for conservation. We’re working very closely with our colleagues in China and we’re going to continue to contribute to the conservation of the species in their native habitat, as well.”

In the press release shared by the San Diego Zoo in April, Xin Bao was listed as a nearly 4-year-old female whose name means a “new treasure of prosperity and abundance.”

“She’s incredibly playful, maybe even a bit mischievous,” Owen told TODAY.

Yun Chuan was listed as a nearly 5-year-old male panda in the April release. He was described as “mild-mannered, gentle and lovable,” with a mother named Zhen Zhen (pronounced jen jen), who was born at San Diego Zoo in 2007. The name Yun is a reference to his grandmother Bai Yun, who resided at the San Diego Zoo for 23 years, while Chuan refers to his native Chinese province.

“He is more laid back, I’d say,” Owen told TODAY.

[From TODAY]

Sure, it’s cute just reading about Xin Bao’s playful nature, or Yun Chuan’s lovability. But you simply must watch the video coverage as well. These two dopes are stupidly ridiculous. Hanging sideways off trees, gnawing away on bamboo — they eat 80 pounds of it a day; Xin Bao also reportedly likes apples and cornbread, too — or doing a few roly-poly-olys, Xin Bao and Yun Chuan don’t give a shoot how they’re caught on camera. If you really to want spontaneously combust from silliness overload, cue the video up to the 1:30 mark and watch these beefcakes play on a slide. Go on, I’ll wait…

No dates have been announced yet for when Yun Chuan and Xin Bao will be ready to receive visitors in their new Southern California residence. That’s likely intentional, as they’re counting on it taking a minimum of a month for the pandas to reacclimate. They’re traveling 7,000 miles, it’s gonna take time to reestablish their dedicated routine of, according to NBC News’ Frayer, “eat, lounge, repeat.” All joking aside, I think I’ve finally found my people. Wishing a safe and swift voyage to Yun Chuan and Xin Bao. In the meantime, I’ll be cursing out every known deity recorded by man for the grave injustice of my not being born a panda.

Stock photos of pandas credit W Warby, Kirandeep Singh Walia and Laura The Xplaura on Pexels, Jason Sung and Ying Wu on Unsplash