Two giant pandas arrive in Atlanta on FedEx Panda Express
Atlanta: Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta on Sunday morning as part of a new panda loan agreement between China and the United States, Zoo Atlanta said.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed Chengdu in southwestern China early Sunday aboard a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777 aircraft.
Under the new agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Atlanta becomes one of three zoos in the U.S. to house giant pandas, along with the San Diego Zoo in California and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
“This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. “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.”
Visitors will have to wait to see the pair. Officials said Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will be quarantined for about a month in a biosecure area of the park’s new giant panda complex. A public debut date has not been announced yet.
The pandas’ arrival was announced Thursday by Chinese President Xi Jinping during a three-day summit with U.S. President Donald Trump. The loan was one of the few concrete outcomes of the state visit.
Atlanta had been without giant pandas since its last bears left in 2024. The new 10-year agreement was first announced in April, but without specific dates until this week.
