{"id":26540662,"date":"2024-10-15T15:41:29","date_gmt":"2024-10-15T19:41:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/?p=26540662&preview=true&preview_id=26540662"},"modified":"2024-10-15T15:43:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-15T19:43:03","slug":"the-pandas-are-coming-the-pandas-are-coming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/animals-pets\/2024\/10\/the-pandas-are-coming-the-pandas-are-coming\/","title":{"rendered":"Pandas arrive at National Zoo, but won’t be ready for public debut until January"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.MediaPlayer{ background-color: #20203e;color: #ffffff; padding: 0.75rem; border-radius: 0.5rem; }.MediaPlayer a{ color: #ffffff;}<\/style><p><em><strong>LOCAL UPDATE, 10\/14\/2024, 5 p.m.:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nationalzoo\/status\/1845927845421305927?s=46&t=5FoXtHoceHs2-vEb52Rsjw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Smithsonian's National Zoo will be closed to the public Tuesday<\/a> in anticipation of the arrival of two giant pandas.\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com\/videos\/embed-video-player.min.js\" data-newsource-publisher=\"21551\" data-player-data=\"fb93e549e1188933f2e612948b87b9c\" data-max-width=\"auto\" data-autoplay=\"1\" data-player-type=\"1010\" data-embed-type=\"3020\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"MediaPlayer\">\n <strong class=\"MediaPlayer-title\">������Ƶapp's Kyle Cooper speaks with zoo visitors about the announcement of the two new pandas<\/strong>\n \n \n <!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n <audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-5c9e9cc2f8ccdf2c354d5026b900fb15\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%; visibility: hidden;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2-pandas-kco.wav?_=1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2-pandas-kco.wav?_=1\">https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2-pandas-kco.wav?_=1<\/a><\/audio>\n\n<\/div><\/p><p>WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The National Zoo’s long dark panda drought has come to an end.<\/p>\n<p>Eleven months after the zoo sent its three <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-national-zoo-b5923fc76613a15ade02fd332e1330df\">wildly popular pandas<\/a> \u2014 Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji \u2014 back to China, a new pair of bears arrived late Tuesday morning. <\/p>\n<p>The three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia, with a refueling stop in Alaska. They were loaded into special FedEx trucks and arrived at the zoo just before noon. <\/p><p style=\"text-align:center\" ><!-- \/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_300x250 -->\n\t\t<div id='div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0' style='height:250px; width:300px; margin:auto;'>\n\t\t<script>\n\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0'); });\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/div><\/p>\n<p>“Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas\u2019 arrival, and we\u2019re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,\u201d said Brandie Smith, the national zoo director who travelled to China to take part in farewell ceremonies for the bears there. “As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The zoo was closed Tuesday to facilitate the arrivals. The bears will be quarantined from the public for at least 30 days. A statement from the zoo set the date for the bears’ official public debut and the reopening of the renovated panada house as Jan. 24, 2025. <\/p>\n<p>Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-diplomacy-national-zoo-1f0eee3fc0114296bcfe5472c43a373e\">Beijing was gradually pulling<\/a> its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.<\/p><p style=\"text-align:center\" ><!-- \/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_In-article -->\n\t\t<div id='div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0-2' style='height:250px; width:300px; margin:auto;'>\n\t\t<script>\n\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0-2'); });\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/div><\/p>\n<p>Breeding pairs in zoos in Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week. <\/p>\n<p>That anxiety turned to optimism last November when <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-national-zoo-biden-xi-apec-97e3f98236d74c5c433f63e8eed603cb\">Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a> publicly stated a desire to continue the panda exchange programs. This year, a new pair of bears has been <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-san-diego-zoo-5ea57f2b269d6d7bc7e0b440f32a2d8d\">delivered to the San Diego Zoo<\/a>, while another pair has been <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/china-san-francisco-zoo-pandas-2657e35111579b2a4cba8b5915a71bd1\">promised to San Francisco<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p>In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously silent about negotiations for a new panda agreement, but they expressed optimism about striking a new deal and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure in anticipation. Then in late May, Smith <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b\">teamed up with first lady Jill Biden<\/a> to announce that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be arriving by the end of this year. <\/p><p style=\"text-align:center\" ><!-- \/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_In-article -->\n\t\t<div id='div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0-3' style='height:250px; width:300px; margin:auto;'>\n\t\t<script>\n\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0-3'); });\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/div><\/p>\n<p>Pandas have become one of the unofficial symbols of the nation\u2019s capital, dating back to 1972 when the first pair \u2014 Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing \u2014 were sent as a gift from Chinese Premier <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zhou_Enlai\">Zhou Enlai<\/a> following President Richard Nixon\u2019s historic diplomatic visit to China. Later, a rolling series of 10-year cooperation agreements was struck. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe giant pandas are an iconic part of the Washington, D.C., story, both for locals and incoming travelers alike,\u201d said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. \u201cThe interest and excitement associated with their return directly benefits the entire city, bringing further interest and visitors to our hotels, restaurants and other attractions.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The exact terms of the deal are still unclear; under previous 10-year agreements the Chinese government receives $1 million per year, per bear. Any cubs born in overseas zoos are typically returned to China before they reach age four. <\/p>\n<p>Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, credited the decades of cooperation with advancing research into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, giant pandas have been reclassified from an endangered species to merely vulnerable. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations,\u201d Liu said in an email. \u201cWe hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false,"raw":"<em><strong>LOCAL UPDATE, 10\/14\/2024, 5 p.m.:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nationalzoo\/status\/1845927845421305927?s=46&t=5FoXtHoceHs2-vEb52Rsjw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Smithsonian's National Zoo will be closed to the public Tuesday<\/a> in anticipation of the arrival of two giant pandas.\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com\/videos\/embed-video-player.min.js\" data-newsource-publisher=\"21551\" data-player-data=\"fb93e549e1188933f2e612948b87b9c\" data-max-width=\"auto\" data-autoplay=\"1\" data-player-type=\"1010\" data-embed-type=\"3020\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n[audio wav=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2-pandas-kco.wav\" hide_date=\"true\" hide_author=\"true\" title=\"������Ƶapp's Kyle Cooper speaks with zoo visitors about the announcement of the two new pandas\"][\/audio]<p>WASHINGTON (AP) \u2014 The National Zoo's long dark panda drought has come to an end.\n\n\n<p>Eleven months after the zoo sent its three <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-national-zoo-b5923fc76613a15ade02fd332e1330df\">wildly popular pandas<\/a> \u2014 Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji \u2014 back to China, a new pair of bears arrived late Tuesday morning. \n\n\n<p>The three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, were flown from China to Dulles International Airport in suburban Virginia, with a refueling stop in Alaska. They were loaded into special FedEx trucks and arrived at the zoo just before noon. \n\n<!-- \/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_300x250 -->\n\t\t<div id='div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0' style='height:250px; width:300px; margin:auto;'>\n\t\t<script>\n\t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0'); });\n\t\t<\/script>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\"Our team has worked tirelessly to prepare for the pandas\u2019 arrival, and we\u2019re thrilled to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to Washington, D.C., the only place you can see giant pandas for free in the nation,\u201d said Brandie Smith, the national zoo director who travelled to China to take part in farewell ceremonies for the bears there. \"As a result of our collective efforts, today we joyfully celebrate a new chapter of our 52-year-long giant panda breeding and conservation program.\u201d\n\n\n<p>The zoo was closed Tuesday to facilitate the arrivals. The bears will be quarantined from the public for at least 30 days. A statement from the zoo set the date for the bears' official public debut and the reopening of the renovated panada house as Jan. 24, 2025. \n\n\n<p>Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous deal expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-diplomacy-national-zoo-1f0eee3fc0114296bcfe5472c43a373e\">Beijing was gradually pulling<\/a> its furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.\n\n\n<p>Breeding pairs in zoos in Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier and the four pandas in the Atlanta zoo left for China last week. \n\n\n<p>That anxiety turned to optimism last November when <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-national-zoo-biden-xi-apec-97e3f98236d74c5c433f63e8eed603cb\">Chinese President Xi Jinping<\/a> publicly stated a desire to continue the panda exchange programs. This year, a new pair of bears has been <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-china-san-diego-zoo-5ea57f2b269d6d7bc7e0b440f32a2d8d\">delivered to the San Diego Zoo<\/a>, while another pair has been <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/china-san-francisco-zoo-pandas-2657e35111579b2a4cba8b5915a71bd1\">promised to San Francisco<\/a>. \n\n\n<p>In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously silent about negotiations for a new panda agreement, but they expressed optimism about striking a new deal and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure in anticipation. Then in late May, Smith <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/giant-pandas-washington-zoo-china-764f8016d98c01ab579bdbb6dcc3dd6b\">teamed up with first lady Jill Biden<\/a> to announce that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be arriving by the end of this year. \n\n\n<p>Pandas have become one of the unofficial symbols of the nation\u2019s capital, dating back to 1972 when the first pair \u2014 Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing \u2014 were sent as a gift from Chinese Premier <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zhou_Enlai\">Zhou Enlai<\/a> following President Richard Nixon\u2019s historic diplomatic visit to China. Later, a rolling series of 10-year cooperation agreements was struck. \n\n\n<p>\u201cThe giant pandas are an iconic part of the Washington, D.C., story, both for locals and incoming travelers alike,\u201d said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. \u201cThe interest and excitement associated with their return directly benefits the entire city, bringing further interest and visitors to our hotels, restaurants and other attractions.\u201d\n\n\n<p>The exact terms of the deal are still unclear; under previous 10-year agreements the Chinese government receives $1 million per year, per bear. Any cubs born in overseas zoos are typically returned to China before they reach age four. \n\n\n<p>Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, credited the decades of cooperation with advancing research into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, giant pandas have been reclassified from an endangered species to merely vulnerable. \n\n\n<p>\u201cThe current round of cooperation will focus on prevention and treatment of major diseases, and protection of habitats and wild giant panda populations,\u201d Liu said in an email. \u201cWe hope the arrival of the pandas will inject fresh impetus into exchanges between China and the U.S., and help to stabilize the broader bilateral relationship as well.\u201d\n\n\n\n\n\n"},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Eleven months after the zoo said sent its three wildly popular pandas \u2014 Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji \u2014 back to China, a new pair of bears is set to arrive at D.C.’s National Zoo. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":60,"featured_media":26540663,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[207676,28331,2,210291,210371,842366,210296],"tags":[1262070,65116,1975,4987,1816,4209],"acf":[],"redirection":false,"hide_featured_media":1,"default_list_image":["https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/National_Zoo_Pandas_55028-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"image_credit":"AP\/Jacquelyn Martin","custom_before_content":"<em><strong>LOCAL UPDATE, 10\/14\/2024, 5 p.m.:<\/strong><\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/nationalzoo\/status\/1845927845421305927?s=46&t=5FoXtHoceHs2-vEb52Rsjw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Smithsonian's National Zoo will be closed to the public Tuesday<\/a> in anticipation of the arrival of two giant pandas.\r\n\r\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/newsource-embed-prd.ns.cnn.com\/videos\/embed-video-player.min.js\" data-newsource-publisher=\"21551\" data-player-data=\"fb93e549e1188933f2e612948b87b9c\" data-max-width=\"auto\" data-autoplay=\"1\" data-player-type=\"1010\" data-embed-type=\"3020\"><\/script>\r\n\r\n[audio wav=\"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/2-pandas-kco.wav\" hide_date=\"true\" hide_author=\"true\" title=\"������Ƶapp's Kyle Cooper speaks with zoo visitors about the announcement of the two new pandas\"][\/audio]","custom_after_content":"","primary_category":"Animals & Pets","article_related_alerts":"","related_gallery_type":"enhanced-gallery","shortcode_related_stories":{"title":"Related News","content":[{"url":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/animals-pets\/2025\/03\/doge-lease-cancellations-which-government-offices-could-be-closed-this-year-and-when\/","title":"DOGE lease cancellations: Which government offices could be closed this year and when","image":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/pets.jpg","date":false,"sponsored":null,"photo_credit":"Getty Images\/iStockphoto\/Eriklam","photo_width":300},{"url":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/animals-pets\/2025\/03\/iconic-pet-reindeer-in-alaska-falls-mysteriously-ill-after-someone-tampers-in-his-pen\/","title":"Iconic pet reindeer in Alaska falls mysteriously ill after someone tampers in his pen","image":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Alaska-Pet_Reindeer-Mystery_Illness_48354-480x320.jpg","date":false,"sponsored":null,"photo_credit":"AP\/Mark Thiessen","photo_width":480},{"url":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/animals-pets\/2025\/03\/study-says-endangered-asian-elephant-population-in-cambodia-is-more-robust-than-previously-thought\/","title":"The Asian elephant population in Cambodia is more robust than previously thought, a study finds","image":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Cambodia_Eelephant_Study_90421-480x320.jpg","date":false,"sponsored":null,"photo_credit":"AP","photo_width":480}]},"author_detail":{"id":"202150","name":"The Associated Press","url":"https:\/\/wtop.com\/author\/the-associated-press\/","image":"","twitter":""},"dfp_post_head":"<script async='async' src='https:\/\/www.googletagservices.com\/tag\/js\/gpt.js'><\/script>\n\t\t\t\t<script>\n\t\t\t\t var googletag = googletag || {};\n\t\t\t\t googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];\n\t\t\t\t<\/script>\n <script>\n\t\t\t\t googletag.cmd.push(function() {\n googletag.defineSlot('\/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_300x250', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1500658388164-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.pubads().setTargeting('slug',['the-pandas-are-coming-the-pandas-are-com']);\n googletag.pubads().setTargeting('category',['animals-pets', 'government', 'lifestyle', 'local', 'national', 'things-to-do-in-dc', 'dc']);\n\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest();\n\t\t\t\t\tgoogletag.enableServices();\n\t\t\t\t });\n\t\t\t\t<\/script><script>\n\t\t\t\t googletag.cmd.push(function() {\n googletag.defineSlot('\/6585\/������Ƶapp_App_In-article', [300, 250], 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