2 giant pandas arrive at Zoo Atlanta in a rare loan from China

2 giant pandas arrive at Zoo Atlanta in a rare loan from China

Two giant pandas on loan from the Chinese government as part of Beijing’s long tradition of “panda diplomacy” have arrived at Zoo Atlanta.

The pandas — a male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang — arrived on a FedEx flight Sunday from Chengdu, in southwestern China. They are the third pair of pandas to arrive in the US in the past two years, and their arrival at Zoo Atlanta comes with great fanfare given how rare the bears are in US zoos.

“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,” Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, said in a statement.

In 2024, Zoo Atlanta returned four pandas who had lived at the zoo back to China, marking the end of a 25-year agreement between the zoo and China.