After more than a year without giant pandas, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., is once again home to the beloved black-and-white bears. Two three-year-old pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, made their public debut on Friday, drawing hundreds of excited visitors who lined up for hours to see them.
Excitement as Pandas Make Their Public Debut
The pandas arrived from China in October 2023 but had been in quarantine while their enclosure was renovated. Now, they are ready to meet the public, and fans couldn’t be happier.
Lisa Barham, who traveled from Cleveland, Ohio, with her son, was thrilled to see the pandas. “It’s just fantastic to be able to experience this as a family,” she told VOA’s Mandarin Service.
Bao Li holds a special connection to the National Zoo—he is the son of Bao Bao, a panda born at the zoo in 2013, who was later returned to China as part of a conservation agreement. “I brought my little boy to see Bao Bao’s little boy,” Barham said.
Playful Pandas Enjoy Snow and Bamboo
As visitors watched, the playful pandas rolled in Washington’s freshly fallen snow and munched on bamboo, their favorite food. The National Zoo director, Brandie Smith, described them as “a symbol of happiness and joy.”
“The pandas to me are such a success story … a story of panda friendship between our cultures,” Smith said, emphasizing the strong bond between the U.S. and China through their shared conservation efforts.
Conservation Efforts and Panda Population Growth
Thanks to global conservation efforts, the giant panda is no longer classified as an endangered species. However, it is still considered “vulnerable”, meaning it requires ongoing protection.
Smith explained that the zoo’s panda program, which began in the 1970s, initially focused on increasing the panda population as an “insurance policy” for the species. Now, the focus has shifted to preserving their natural habitat.
Currently, about 1,864 giant pandas live in the wild in Asia, while 600 pandas are housed in zoos and breeding centers worldwide, according to the National Zoo’s website.
Pandas on a 10-Year Lease from China
The arrival of Bao Li and Qing Bao is part of a 10-year agreement between the U.S. and China. The National Zoo is paying $1 million per year to the China Wildlife and Conservation Association for the pandas.
As per the agreement, any cubs born to the new pandas will be returned to China to join its breeding program, helping to ensure the survival of the species.
Opening Ceremony and Cultural Celebration
The National Zoo celebrated the pandas’ arrival with an opening ceremony on Friday morning. Students from the Yu Ying Public Charter School, a bilingual Chinese-English school in Washington, D.C., attended the event, wearing panda ears and singing a song about friendship.
Carlie Fisher, the school’s executive director, stated, “The pandas represent peace and goodwill.”
Panda Cam Relaunches with Huge Public Interest
For those who can’t visit in person, the National Zoo has relaunched its popular Panda Cam, featuring 40 cameras streaming live footage of the pandas throughout the day.
Within just a few hours of its launch, the Panda Cam had 75,000 views by 11:30 a.m. on Friday, showing the massive public interest in these beloved animals.
The return of giant pandas to the National Zoo marks a joyful moment for animal lovers and highlights the ongoing collaboration between the U.S. and China in panda conservation. As Bao Li and Qing Bao settle into their new home, visitors and online fans alike can once again enjoy watching these iconic bears thrive in Washington, D.C.