Two Giant Pandas Arrive at Zoo Atlanta on Loan from China
A six-year-old male and a five-year-old female giant panda were delivered to Zoo Atlanta after a month-long quarantine, beginning a ten-year loan aimed at breeding and conservation.
Two giant pandas, a six-year-old male named Ping Ping and a five-year-old female named Fu Shuang, were delivered to Zoo Atlanta on Sunday after completing a month of quarantine in China. The animals traveled from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on a 16-hour flight aboard a Boeing 777, accompanied by fresh bamboo, water and treats, before being escorted by FedEx trucks to the zoo.
The pair will remain in a biosecure quarantine area of the zoo’s new giant panda complex for about a month before being introduced to the public. Zoo officials selected the pandas for their age, health, genetics and temperament, hoping they will mate naturally and contribute to the species’ recovery. The animals are on a ten-year loan, with any offspring remaining the property of China and eventually returning there.
The arrival follows recent panda loans to other U.S. zoos and comes amid ongoing diplomatic engagements between the United States and China. Host institutions typically pay an annual fee of roughly $1 million for a pair, with part of the payment directed to conservation programs in China.
Conservationists note that wild giant pandas number about 1,900 individuals across six mountain ranges, and that captive breeding remains challenging because females are receptive for only a few days each year. Zoo staff will monitor the pandas as they acclimate and assess their compatibility before any breeding attempts.