Giant pandas make debut at National Zoo
WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) – Giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, officially made their debut at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. on Friday morning.
“We want our message to tourists to be clear, we have world class hotels, fantastic restaurants and pandas,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
The 3-year-old pandas traveled to D.C. from China in October and have been quarantining since their arrival.
“I’ve been working with pandas for almost 20 years and one day I suspect I’ll go, I’ll look at a panda and the magic will wear off, but it never does. It never has.” Dr. Brandie Smith with the Smithsonian National Zoo said.
The two pandas are part of a new 10-year agreement with China. The previous deal expired in 2023 and the three pandas at the zoo were sent back to China.
“The Smithsonian giant pandas have been a presence in Washington for more than 50 years,” Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian said. “In some ways, they are as iconic as the Washington Monument or the Lincoln Memorial.”
Dr. Smith said in the decades since the program started, there has been a jump from less than 1,000 pandas in the world to almost 3,000.
“Giant pandas truly represent how great conservation outcomes can be achieved through great partnerships and public support,” she said.
The National Zoo is free for people to visit, and the Smithsonian announced it has relaunched the Giant Panda Cam.
“We’re the only place on the planet where people can see the giant pandas for free,” Dr. Smith said.