Panda-mania has taken over D.C. After much fanfare, two Giant Pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, moved into their new home at Smithsonian's National Zoo yesterday. The pandas will make their public debut in January; zoo members can see them January 10-19, and the general public can get a look starting January 24.
RECOMMENDED: Two Giant pandas just arrived at the National Zoo in D.C. after flight from China
The zoo will remain open this winter, but the panda habitat, Bird House, and Animals of Asia trail will be closed until January 24. In the meantime, you can keep up with the bears through a new digital series that'll go behind the scenes of caring for the pandas, which launches tomorrow on the zoo's website.
After a long flight via Fedex's "Panda Express" from Chengdu, China to Dulles Airport, the pandas will quarantine for at least 30 days. Veterinarians, zoo keepers, and nutritionists will care for them during this time; they'll help the pandas get used to their new surroundings and will evaluate and monitor their health and wellbeing.
The zoo shared a first look at the two pandas arriving at the zoo; skip to 5:31 to see the male panda, Bao Li, being unloaded and moved into his new habitat. Keep watching to see him munch some bamboo shoots and climb some structures. Fast forward to the 6:42 mark to see Qing Bao, the female panda, move in, test out her swimming pool, and of course, eat some bamboo.
The Giant Panda Cam, which uses 40 cameras to create a live broadcast of the bears' movement, will also return when the pandas make their public debut in January. It'll broadcast daily from 7am-7pm, and the day's footage will re-run in the evening so you won't miss a thing.
Admission to the zoo is free, but you're required to reserve a timed-entry pass to enter. You can become a member of the zoo for access to special events, including a special period to view the pandas before everyone else. You can also make a donation to support panda research, conservation, and care. If you're looking for some new fall threads, you can even buy panda merch that includes shirts, hats, windbreakers, totes, and more.