OnPolitics: Panda-monium in Washington
Hello OnPolitics readers! It's panda-pandemonium in the nation's capital, after officials announced the return of giant pandas to the Smithsonian National Zoo yesterday.
The panda pair – Bao Li and Qing Bao – will be at the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute by the end of the year. Paste BN's Jennifer Borresen reports that along with their icon status in Washington, pandas are key players in diplomacy efforts between the U.S. and China, the only natural habitat for these animals in the world.
🐼 History of "panda-diplomacy": China has lent giant pandas to the U.S. since 1972. Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, the first of these panda diplomats, lived the remainder of their lives in the National Zoo after their arrival.
More recently, the National Zoo hosted Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji, before the bears returned to China last fall.
📍 Other panda destinations: The San Diego Zoo will also receive a couple of furry new tenants: Yun Chuan, a nearly 5-year-old male panda, and Xin Bao, a nearly 4-year-old female panda. Their arrival date remains unknown.
Read more here: Giants pandas are coming back to the National Zoo in Washington
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