Washington, D.C. – Two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived at the National Zoo on Tuesday, bringing excitement to the nation’s capital less than a year after its previous panda residents were returned to China.
The pandas, both 3 years old, departed Chengdu, China, on Monday, with a brief stop in Anchorage, Alaska, before landing at Washington’s Dulles International Airport at 9:53 a.m. EDT on Tuesday. Cheering crowds greeted the pandas as they were transported to the zoo by FedEx trucks, escorted by police.
The National Zoo announced the arrival of the pandas in a social media post, teasing, “Something giant is coming to Washington, D.C. via the @FedEx Panda Express.” The zoo remained closed to the public during the transfer for the pandas’ safety.
Bao Li, a male panda, has strong U.S. ties — his mother, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo in 2013, and his grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, lived at the zoo from 2000 to 2023. Qing Bao, the female panda, was also loaned to the U.S. as part of ongoing conservation efforts.
The pandas will undergo a 30-day quarantine before settling into their new home. Their public debut is scheduled for January 24, 2025, with a member preview from January 10-19.
Giant pandas are currently listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The National Zoo continues to be a vital part of panda conservation efforts.
