Two giant pandas arrive at Atlanta zoo for 10-year US-China conservation programme
Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have arrived at Zoo Atlanta from China for a 10-year conservation programme following an agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
- Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived in Atlanta on 27 September aboard a dedicated FedEx cargo flight.
- The pandas will undergo about one month of quarantine before they are introduced to visitors.
- Their arrival establishes a new 10-year conservation partnership between Zoo Atlanta and Chinese wildlife authorities.
Two Chinese giant pandas have arrived at Zoo Atlanta for a 10-year conservation programme, days after Chinese President Xi Jinping announced their transfer during his state visit to the United States.
The male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, 27 September, aboard a dedicated FedEx cargo flight from Chengdu, China.
The pandas were transported to Zoo Atlanta under police escort and placed in a biosecure area of the zoo's new giant panda complex. They will undergo a routine quarantine period of about one month before they are introduced to the public.
The arrival follows an international cooperative research agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) on giant panda conservation. Under the agreement, the two pandas are expected to remain at the zoo for 10 years.
Xi announces pandas during US state visit
Xi announced the panda transfer on 24 September during a welcoming ceremony hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House.
The Chinese president described giant pandas as an "envoy of friendship" between China and the United States and said Ping Ping and Fu Shuang would soon arrive at their new home in Atlanta.
The announcement came during Xi's state visit to Washington, where the two presidents held talks on bilateral relations.
The panda programme was subsequently followed by the pair's departure from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport at 2.55am on 27 September. A farewell ceremony was held at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding before the animals left China.
Both pandas were born in Chengdu
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were both born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province.
Ping Ping, the male, was born on 17 March 2020. Fu Shuang, the female, was born on 18 October 2020.
Zoo Atlanta said Ping Ping's name is part of a name given at birth to him and his twin brother, representing a blessing for a smooth and happy life. The zoo's animal profile describes him as a male giant panda born in 2020.
Chinese veterinarians and caretakers travelled to Atlanta ahead of the pandas to help prepare for their arrival and support them during quarantine, training and adjustment to their new surroundings.
Zoo Atlanta upgrades panda facilities
Zoo Atlanta spent the past year preparing for the pair's arrival, including improvements to its panda habitat.
Gina Ferrie, the zoo's vice-president of collections and conservation, told Xinhua that the facility had been upgraded with larger day rooms, new lighting and flooring and other changes intended to support the animals' welfare.
Zoo Atlanta also has experienced keepers who have previously cared for giant pandas. The zoo said it has ensured adequate supplies of bamboo for the animals.
Raymond B. King, president and chief executive of Zoo Atlanta, described the arrival as a significant moment for the zoo, Atlanta and Georgia.
The pandas are currently not visible to visitors while they complete quarantine and acclimatise to their new environment. Zoo Atlanta said it would provide further information about when the public could meet them.
Return marks new conservation partnership
The arrival marks the return of giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta after the zoo's previous four pandas — Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun — returned to China in 2024.
The new programme was initiated through an International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation between Zoo Atlanta and the CWCA. The agreement builds on decades of scientific cooperation between Chinese and US institutions.
Zoo Atlanta said the new arrangement makes it one of three US zoos currently housing giant pandas and the only zoological organisation in the southeastern United States to have the species.
Panda diplomacy has a long history
The movement of giant pandas between China and other countries has long been associated with diplomatic and conservation relationships.
Modern US-China panda exchanges date to 1972, when China sent giant pandas Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing to the National Zoo in Washington following US President Richard Nixon's visit to China.
In recent decades, the arrangements have increasingly been structured around international conservation and scientific cooperation rather than permanent gifts.
The latest Atlanta agreement provides for a decade-long cooperative conservation programme involving Chinese and American specialists.
For Atlanta, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang's arrival restores giant pandas to the city after a two-year absence and establishes a new 10-year research and conservation partnership between Zoo Atlanta and China's wildlife conservation authorities.
