Giant pandas from China make public debut at Atlanta zoo

Two giant pandas from China, male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang, were shown to the public for the first time on Friday at Zoo Atlanta in the US city of Atlanta, drawing a long queue of visitors. The six-year-old animals arrived from Chengdu, China, on September 27. Their presence means the zoo's panda cooperation with China, which had lapsed, has been revived.

Pandas return to Atlanta

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang now live in an enclosure that had stood empty since 2024. The previous 25-year partnership, in which Atlanta hosted four pandas on loan from 1999, ended at a time of strained relations between the United States and China. Seven cubs born at the zoo during that period now live in Chengdu.

The new arrangement is a 10-year loan agreement, reached after a summit in Washington between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The animals were flown over on a FedEx plane nicknamed the "Panda Express", and spent recent weeks getting used to their habitat.

Official comments

China's ambassador to the US, Xie Feng, told a press conference that the arrival "marks the renewal of a decade-long bond between China and Zoo Atlanta." Zoo Atlanta CEO Raymond King described pandas as animals able to inspire curiosity, instill passion and evoke joy, and to unite people around the world.

"Panda diplomacy"

China has long leased pandas to other countries to build diplomatic ties, a practice known as "panda diplomacy." Cubs born in foreign zoos are typically sent back to China.

The zoo recently renovated its panda facilities and has secured a long-term supply of locally grown bamboo. Three zoos in the US now house pandas.