After a more than two-year hiatus, pandas are back in Atlanta!
Two black and white fuzzy creatures made the long journey from China to Zoo Atlanta this weekend, arriving at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport early Sunday morning, according to the zoo.
Male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang, both born in 2020, will usher in a new era of research and partnership between Zoo Atlanta and the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding from the China Wildlife Conservation Association, two groups that have already been working together for decades.
So why did Atlanta's previous pandas leave? Why are pandas coming back now? And, how did they even get here?
Here's what to know about Zoo Atlanta's newest residents.
How did the pandas get here?
Like any VIP (very important panda),
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were treated to a private chartered flight directly from China to Atlanta. The "FedEx Panda Express" Boing 777 aircraft landed in Atlanta early in the morning on Sept. 27.
The flight and transportation was donated from FedEx, and was specially curated to keep the pandas safe and comfortable. In video shared by FedEx, the flight is seen landing at Hartsfield-Jackson, and a crate with airholes along the top edge being carefully lowered from the plane.
Then, the pandas were strapped into a FedEx truck where they made the roughly 10 mile journey from the airport to Zoo Atlanta.
The city is no stranger to large-animal logistics.
At the beginning of August, two male beluga whales rescued from the shuttered Marineland aquatic park in Ontario, Canada were shipped to Atlanta on a cargo plane to join other belugas at the Georgia Aquarium.
UPS Airlines also helped out the Georgia Aquarium back in 2007 when two juvenile whale sharks, previously rescued from a fish market in Taiwan, were shipped on a plane more than 8,000 miles in specialized life support tanks.
Why did Zoo Atlanta lose their pandas in 2024?
Panda pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang were part of an original "panda agreement" in 1999, and between 2006 and 2016, the pair had seven offspring. These are the pandas you might have seen if you visited Zoo Atlanta anytime in the past two decades.
The young pandas went back to the research base in China when they reached a certain age, in accordance with the agreement, until there were only the parents and two youngest pandas, Ya Lun and Xi Lun left in October 2024. But, the "panda loan" was always only meant for 25 years. So two years ago, the final pandas were packed up and sent back to the Chengdu Research Base, ending the full-time residency of pandas in Atlanta.
All pandas abroad continue to be owned by China, and are only ever on loan to other nations. A new agreement between the United States and China for their pandas was announced in April, but it was unclear when the pandas may actually return to Atlanta.
The future of "panda diplomacy" was uncertain after the 2024 election when President Trump and China's President Xi Jingping were at odds with one another. The new pandas, however, have arrived shortly after a summit between the two leaders, in which Jingping said the loan program was a sign of "friendship between the Chinese and Americans."
The new panda agreement with Zoo Atlanta is set to last for 10 years.
When can visitors see the new pandas?
While Zoo Atlanta has not provided an exact reveal date for Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to be on display for the public, the organization said there will be a quarantine period before visitors can say hello.
"Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are not yet visible. The bears will be housed in a biosecure area of Zoo Atlanta’s new giant panda complex for a routine quarantine period of around a month," zoo officials said. "Zoo Atlanta will make exciting future announcements about the new arrivals, including the name of their new home, design details of their expanded habitat, and the date when Members and guests can expect to see them."
Ping Ping earned his name in conjunction with his twin brother, and their names together are a "blessing for a smooth and happy life." Fu Shuang was named after her mother and a word meaning "happiness."
The pandas will make their home at the previous panda exhibit at Zoo Atlanta, but with some new upgrades for a new generation of pandas.
Irene Wright covers Atlanta's professional sports teams as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Welcome back, pandas! When can you see new arrivals at Zoo Atlanta?
