Two Giant Pandas Depart China for Zoo Atlanta
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Two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, left Chengdu on a 15-hour flight to Zoo Atlanta, continuing China's long-standing practice of loaning the animals to strengthen diplomatic ties with the United States.
Two giant pandas left Chengdu, China, early Sunday morning on a flight to Zoo Atlanta, where they will be placed on loan from the Chinese government. The animals, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, were transported from the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in Sichuan province and are expected to arrive in Atlanta after a roughly 15-hour journey. China said veterinarians and breeders will remain at the zoo to oversee the pandas' quarantine and care.
The departure follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent state visit to Washington, during which the United States and China agreed to a trade truce and an artificial-intelligence hotline. Chinese officials described the pandas as selected for their age, health, genetics and temperament, and expressed hopes that they may eventually mate naturally.
Zoo Atlanta confirmed it will host the pandas and indicated that academic and cultural exchanges will accompany the loan, aiming to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries. The move continues a pattern of “panda diplomacy” that dates back to the early 1970s, when China first began sending pandas abroad as symbols of friendship.
"The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans," Xi said during his visit.
"Get ready to greet our two fluffy stars!" Chinese ambassador to the United States Xie Feng wrote on social media.
The pandas were quarantined for a month before departure and trained to tolerate the noise and confinement of air travel. Their arrival will add to the zoo’s existing panda program, which previously housed the pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang.