Giant pandas set to return to California

SACRAMENTO – California could become the first state in the U.S. to welcome a new pair of giant pandas in the latest round of a collaborative conservation effort with China.

The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance announced that it has signed a cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association and filed a permit application with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. According to reports, two pandas could arrive by the end of the summer.

"California and China share deep cultural and economic ties, and we look forward to the opportunity to again welcome these iconic bears to the G...