Qing Bao and Bao Li: giant pandas debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in D.C.
Two giant pandas, a female named Qing Bao and a male named Bao Li from Chengdu, China, are debuting at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on Friday. This comes more than a year after the zoo said goodbye to its last giant pandas, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Xiao Qi Ji, in November 2023. On a 10-year loan from China, the pair took the transpacific flight to Washington in mid-October last year and have since settled into their new home.
Bao Li (BOW-lee) is a 3-year-old male. His mother Bao Bao was born at the institute in 2013 and his grandparents Tian Tian and Mei Xiang lived at National Zoo from 2000 to 2023. Qing Bao (ching-BOW) is a 3-year-old female born to father Qing Qing and mother Jia Mei.
How do I get a ticket to see the pandas?
Entry into the National Zoo is free and no additional tickets are required to enter the panda habitat.
To commemorate Bao Li and Qing Bao's debut, the zoo is hosting two weeks of celebrations and special events it has dubbed the "District of Panda Party."
The festivities, which will run from Saturday to Feb. 9, include a host of events and programs, including a Lunar New Year event, a film screening of "King Fu Panda" and a slate of cultural activities put on by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the zoo has said in a statement.
Those wishing to see Bao Li and Qing Bao can secure passes online at nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/events. A limited number of same-day passes may be offered at the entrances for those without access to the zoo's website.
Giant pandas are icons in Washington. For more than five decades, the National Zoo has created and maintained one of the world’s foremost giant panda conservation programs, helping move the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the global list of species at risk of extinction.
Where do giant pandas live?
Central China, home to the only natural habitat for giant pandas, owns most of the world's giant pandas. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 1,864 pandas are alive today.
Timeline of panda diplomacy in the US
Pandas have been a symbol of diplomacy between the U.S. and China since 1972 when China gifted a pair to the National Zoo in Washington. Lending pandas to zoos across the U.S. and other countries also encourages reproduction and helps save the giant pandas from extinction.
Four zoos in the U.S. have hosted pandas since 1972.
How to watch the pandas online
If you can't make it to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo to see the Qing Bao and Bao Li, you can catch them on the Giant Panda Cam that will launch in January 2025 when the bears make their public debut.
Contributing: Christopher Cann
SOURCE Paste BN Network reporting and research; IUCN; World Wildlife Federation; Pandas International; Smithsonian’s National Zoo; Reuters