Pandas have returned to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
Two 3-year-old pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived at the zoo on Tuesday, which closed for the day to facilitate their transport. They were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in Virginia and transported via specialized FedEx trucks.
Their arrival comes after pandas in zoos around the U.S. were returned to China near the end of 2023. The same occurred in the U.K., with the Edinburgh Zoo’s panda loan ending after 10 years.
The turn in “panda diplomacy” was attributed to political tensions between China and the West, signaling China’s potential unhappiness.
In early 2024, it was announced that the San Diego Zoo would be getting pandas for the first time since 2019, with their arrival happening in August 2024.
“We hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well,” Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, said in an email, per Time magazine.
“The current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations.”
Bao Li and Qing Bao will be quarantined for at least 30 days and, according to the zoo, their official debut will occur on Jan. 24, 2025, after renovations to the panda exhibit. Zoo members, CNN reported, can get early access to panda viewings beginning on Jan. 10.
Here’s what to know about the zoo’s newest additions.
1. Bao Li has connections to Washington, D.C.
The panda was born in China’s Sichuan Province, but his mother, Bao Bao, was born in 2013 at the National Zoo, per CNN. His grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, were also National Zoo residents. Bao Bao was returned to China in 2017, but Mei Xiang and Tian Tian lived at the zoo for 23 years, until they were returned to China last year.
National Zoo panda keeper Mariel Lally told CNN that Bao Li reminds her of Tian Tian.
“Bao Li has a huge personality,” she said.
2. Their long-haul flights required serious prep work
The pandas had to be trained for their first long-haul flight. Part of the prep work involved crate training them for their journey. Their last few days in China involved acclimating them to their crate, through which they could be fed food and water by their handlers throughout the flight.
Bao Li was noted to be calm during their departure, while Qing Bao was more restless, pacing around her crate.
3. The bears had to be quarantined before coming to the U.S.
On Sept. 13, Bao Li and Qing Bao were placed under quarantine in China. The two were separated during this period and placed in enclosures with lots of bamboo in a private area with only staff allowed to see them.
The pandas both turned 3 shortly before their quarantine began, Qing Bao one day before and Bao Li three weeks before.
4. Bao Li and Qing Bao have favorite snacks
Ren Zhijun, a Chinese panda keeper, cared for the two pandas during the quarantine period ahead of their journey. He noted that the bears love to eat, with Bao Li’s favorite snack being bamboo shoots and Qing Bao’s being carrots and apples.
Bao Li eats twice as much as the smaller panda, he said, per CNN.
5. The pandas are polar opposites
During their quarantine, the bears’ personalities really shone through, and they are remarkably different. The larger of the two, Bao Li, is extroverted and energetic, Ren Zhijun noted. His personality matches his name, which translates to “precious vigor.”
Qing Bao (”green treasure”), on the other hand, is more introverted and loves a good nap. Her exercise consists of climbing trees.
