Zoo Atlanta welcomes two giant pandas from China after two-year wait

Two giant pandas have arrived at Zoo Atlanta on loan from China, bringing the animals back to the city two years after its previous pandas returned home.

According to CNN, Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, arrived on a FedEx flight from Chengdu on Sunday after a journey of nearly 16 hours.

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

The pandas will spend about a month in quarantine in the zoo’s new giant panda complex before going on public display.

Their arrival follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington, where he met US President Donald Trump amid tensions between the two countries.

China has used giant panda loans for decades as a form of diplomacy. During his US visit, Xi said: “The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and Americans.”

Ping Ping, whose name means “peace”, was born in March 2020, while Fu Shuang, meaning “double blessings”, was born seven months later.

They are the third pair of giant pandas sent to the US from China in the past two years.