The National Zoo's long, dark panda drought has come to an end. Eleven months after the Washington, DC, zoo sent its three wildly popular pandas—Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji—back to China, a new pair of bears arrived Tuesday morning, the AP reports. The 3-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia, with a refueling stop in Alaska. They were loaded into special FedEx trucks and arrived at the zoo just before noon.
"We're thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, DC, the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation," said Brandie Smith, the national zoo director. "As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program." The zoo was closed Tuesday to facilitate the arrivals. The bears will be quarantined from the public for at least 30 days. A statement from the zoo set the date for the bears' official public debut and the reopening of the renovated panda house as Jan. 24, 2025.
Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that Beijing was gradually pulling its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions. Breeding pairs in zoos in Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier, and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week. (This story was updated with the pandas' arrival.)
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