Giant pandas arrive in Atlanta as part of 10-year US-China agreement

Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, have arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, as part of a 10-year loan from China. This arrival is a result of a new agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, making Atlanta one of three US zoos to house giant pandas. The pandas departed from Chengdu, China, and completed a 16-hour charter flight to reach Atlanta. Their transfer, finalized in April, was officially announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a signal of renewed bilateral friendship between the US and China. Zoo Atlanta had prepared for their arrival by upgrading habitats and securing a local bamboo supply.

Two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, have departed Chengdu, China, for Zoo Atlanta in Georgia. This loan of the pandas for 10 years is part of an agreement between the Chinese and US governments, announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his summit with US President Donald Trump in Washington D.C. The panda loan was one of the few tangible outcomes of the visit, which saw expressions of goodwill but no resolution to existing differences between the two countries. The pandas, both born in 2020, were previously housed at the Chengdu research base. China has historically used panda loan programs as a diplomatic tool to foster goodwill.