Two giant pandas have arrived in Atlanta – having traveled thousands of miles from Chengdu, China.
The two bears, a six-year-old male named Ping Ping and a five-year-old female named Fu Shuang, arrived as part of what has long been referred to as “Panda diplomacy” - the practice of loaning pandas as a tool for international relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the loan during a high-stakes state visit to the United States for talks with President Trump. The trip came amid tensions between the two countries over trade and concerns over artificial intelligence.
“The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and the Americans,” Xi said last week. “Here, I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas - Ping Ping and Fu Shuang - will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people.”
The two bears’ life in China
Both Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were born back in 2020 and have been previously kept at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Ping Ping shares a name, which means “peace,” with the first-ever panda gifted to the Soviet Union back in 1957.
China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration says that his birthday lands on March 17. He has large black patches around each of his eyes and loves climbing trees.
Fu Shuang, whose name means “double blessings,” was born seven months after Ping Ping on October 18. She has a slightly protruding forehead and a small tuft of fur atop her head, the agency says.
Fu Jia, the bear’s keeper, described Ping Ping as “brave and gentle” on Chinese broadcaster CCTV, CNN reports.
“During training sessions, when he spots me holding an apple, he will make soft whimpering sounds, eager for the treat,” she said, adding that Fu Shuang is “crazy about honey.”
Arriving on the FedEx Panda Express
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday via a FedEx Boeing 777-F known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
The two animals were transported in custom-built crates and were the only cargo aboard the jet, save for bamboo, water and treats, FedEx confirmed.
The delivery company, which has worked with China’s government to transport pandas for decades, also says that it donated the full transportation costs for the pandas in order to support conservation efforts.
Both Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were quarantined ahead of the journey from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and were allowed to become accustomed to their crates so that they were comfortable during the trip, FedEx says.
Raymond B. King, the president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta - which previously ran a panda agreement with China from 1999 until 2024 - said in a statement that the organization was “elated” by the bears’ arrival.
“This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” King said. “We are elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with our Members, guests, city, and community in the coming weeks.”
King added, “Zoo Atlanta is honored to partner with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to see important work continue toward the conservation of giant pandas, which is the most important benefit of guarding this species.”
When will visitors see the bears?
The two bears will be kept in a biosecure area at the zoo for around a month as part of routine quarantining, Zoo Atlanta says.
The organization says that it will confirm when visitors will be able to see the pandas in the future.
Li Mingxi, the deputy director of Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, told CCTV that they hope the bears will mate naturally, CNN reports.
“They should be docile and like each other, and hopefully be able to mate naturally,” the deputy director said.
Seven offspring were born to Lun Lun and Yang Yang - the two bears kept at Zoo Atlanta as part of the first agreement - between 2006 and 2016. The two elder pandas left Atlanta with their two youngest children in 2024, returning to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding where their five offspring also resided.
Zoo Atlanta says that giant pandas were reclassified from Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to Vulnerable back in 2016. Around 72 percent of the near-1,900 giant pandas in the wild live on protected nature reserves.
