The pandas have landed, alert, the pandas have landed! NBC Washington reports that the two giant pandas en route from China to Washington, D.C. just arrived at Smithsonian's National Zoo, which will be their home for the next 10 years and where you can visit them—for free. AP reports that the pandas landed at Dulles International Airport this morning around 10am after leaving China yesterday. Pandas returning to D.C. is a big deal—the pandas are beloved in the city, and the last pair of pandas to live at the zoo were a major tourist attraction.
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The pandas disembarked the plane today in crates marked for the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and were loaded onto Fedex cargo trucks that left the airport en route to the National Zoo. The pandas flew aboard a Fedex cargo plane emblazoned with a panda and nicknamed the "Panda Express."
The zoo teased the news of the pandas' arrival on X and Instagram yesterday, and promptly sent the internet into a frenzy. The China Wildlife Conservation Association wrote in a statement that the pandas boarded the plane Monday alongside medical and veterinary staff. They packed water, medicine, and snacks for the trip that included bamboo, carrots and corn bread.
✈️🐼🐼 Something *giant* is coming to Washington, D.C. via the @FedEx Panda Express! The Zoo will be closed to the public tomorrow, Oct. 15. For the safety of the pandas and staff, we will not disclose any additional timing. Follow #DCPandas for updates: https://t.co/mcdrhDwwfD. pic.twitter.com/IDsGfLYgM6
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) October 14, 2024
Who are our new neighbors? The male panda is named Bao Li (pronounced BOW-lee) and was born in August 2021, and the female panda is Qiang Bao (pronounced ching-BOW), who was born in September 2021. Bao Li's name means vital and active power in Mandarin Chinese, and Qiang Bao's name means treasure and green.
It's not exactly clear when you can see the pandas in person. The zoo announced that the grounds will be closed to the public today, October 15, but didn't cite a reason. But that doesn't mean you'll be able to visit them immediately—the pandas will undergo a 30 day quarantine period, then will be given time to acclimate to their new home before the public can see them.
The panda enclosure in the zoo has been empty since last year, when three giant pandas—Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Xi—were returned to a conservation center in China in November. To send them off, the zoo hosted a nine-day celebration that included panda-themed events, food and drink specials, and lots of activities. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in D.C. in 2000.
The pandas are part of a diplomacy program that sees China loan its pandas, which are national symbols of the country, to zoos around the world for for 10 year periods. The U.S. and China have been in panda partnership since 1972, when the first pair of giant pandas arrived at the National Zoo as a gift to commemorate President Richard Nixon's visit to China.
A new agreement to host pandas at the Zoo is valid until April 2034; the terms of the deal are similar to past ones, and include an agreement to send any panda cubs born at the zoo back to China before they turn 4 and to pay a $1 million yearly fee. The U.S. and China also partner on panda research and conservation efforts.
Hopefully all this means the beloved Giant Panda Cam, a 24-hour live feed of the bears, will be up and running soon!