Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang made their public debut at Zoo Atlanta on Friday, Nov. 6, drawing visitors to the animals’ new home. The male and female pandas were seen eating bamboo in their enclosure, according to DW.
The six-year-old pandas arrived from Chengdu, China, on Sept. 27 after traveling on a FedEx flight dubbed the “Panda Express.” They spent several weeks adjusting to their habitat before being shown to the public.
A return after the previous partnership ended
The pandas are living in a renovated enclosure at the zoo, which had been vacant since 2024. Zoo Atlanta’s earlier partnership with China began in 1999 and ended that year; seven cubs born at the zoo during the arrangement now live in Chengdu.
Zoo Atlanta said the new panda arrangement is part of an international cooperative research agreement on giant panda conservation. The zoo also arranged a long-term supply of locally grown bamboo for Ping Ping and Fu Shuang.
China’s ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng, said the pandas’ arrival “marks the renewal of a decade-long bond between China and Zoo Atlanta.” Zoo Atlanta CEO Raymond King said pandas can inspire curiosity and bring people together.
The zoo had announced the public debut for Nov. 6 and confirmed the pandas’ arrival in September. Zoo Atlanta’s announcement named their new habitat the Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove.