TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taipei and Shanghai signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) Tuesday to exchange African penguins and red pandas, establishing a cooperative relationship through animal exchanges.

Taipei Zoo said the MOU focuses on three main areas: animal exchange, professional development, and personnel exchange. It includes collaborative research on wildlife conservation management, technical support for species-specific care, and cooperation in breeding, husbandry, and medical technology, per CNA.

The zoo's red panda family consists of 11 individuals, with three breeding pairs. To enhance genetic diversity and maintain population health, the zoo introduced the red panda “Future” from Japan last year. This year it is planning to exchange African penguins for red pandas from Shanghai Zoological Park.

The African penguin has been officially reclassified from Endangered to Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Taipei Zoo employed artificial incubation to welcome seven new additions to its African penguin family this year. 

The MOU was signed at the Taipei-Shanghai Forum, which began on Tuesday. Since its launch in 2010, the forum has facilitated over 40 MOUs, according to Up Media.