Bao Li and Qing Bao, Two Giant Pandas, Arrive at National Zoo for 10-Year Stay

Oct 15, 2024, 09:11 AM

Two giant pandas, male Bao Li (宝力) and female Qing Bao (青宝), both three years old, have arrived in Washington, D.C., from Chengdu, China, to begin a 10-year stay at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The pandas landed at Dulles International Airport on Tuesday morning aboard a special FedEx flight dubbed the "Panda Express." This marks the end of the National Zoo's nearly year-long panda absence following the return of Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji to China in 2023. Bao Li is notably the offspring of Bao Bao, a previous resident of the National Zoo, making him a third-generation Washingtonian panda. The arrival is part of a renewed collaboration between the U.S. and the China Wildlife Conservation Association on giant panda conservation, continuing the practice of "panda diplomacy" that began with President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972. The pandas will undergo a quarantine period before being introduced to visitors. The National Zoo remained closed to the public on Tuesday to ensure the safe arrival and acclimation of the pandas.