For the first time in 11 months, a new pair of giant pandas will be on display at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC.
After the previous three giant pandas returned to China in November 2023, the zoo’s giant panda enclosure was empty. The new pair, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived at Dulles International Airport on Tuesday via FedEx Panda Express and were then transferred to the zoo’s state-of-the-art panda enclosure. enclosure, According to Press release from the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI).
The NZCBI announced in May that Bao Li and Ching Bao had been given a 10-year loan to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. Under the agreement, the National Zoo will provide $1 million a year to the China Wildlife Conservation Association to collaborate on research in China. Additionally, any descendants According to the zoo, the animal belongs to China.
It’s the perfect day to welcome a new panda. Welcome to DC, Qingbao, Baoli!! 🐼🐼 pic.twitter.com/30tTIzj372
— Dulles Airport (IAD) (@Dulles_Airport) October 15, 2024
This pair of giant pandas are the first new pandas born in the United States in 24 years. After President Richard Nixon visited China in 1972, China loaned pandas to the United States as a diplomatic tool.
Bao Li has family ties to NZCBI. Bao Li’s mother, Bao Bao, began living there in 2013 before being returned to China. Bao Li’s grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, spent 23 years at the National Zoo before being returned in 2023.
The National Zoo’s X account announced on Monday that the zoo will be closed to visitors on Tuesday due to the arrival of the pandas.
The zoo’s David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat, aviary, and portions of the Asia Trail will be closed until Bao Li and Qing Bao reopen to the public on January 24, 2025. The pair will be quarantined for at least 30 days. Helps reduce the introduction of parasites to other animals. (Related: John Fetterman slams China for recapturing pandas)
✈️🐼🐼 Something *huge* @fedex Panda Express! The zoo will close to the public tomorrow, October 15th. For the safety of the pandas and staff, additional release dates will not be disclosed. to follow #DC Panda For updates: https://t.co/mcdrhDwwfD. pic.twitter.com/IDsGfLYgM6
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) October 14, 2024
The zoo’s giant panda camera will resume operation once the pandas are released to the public.
