Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Welcomes New Giant Pandas to Zoo Atlanta
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens sent a welcome message via video for the public debut of two Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, at Zoo Atlanta. The six-year-old pandas officially greeted visitors on Friday, November 6, 2026, after completing a month-long quarantine. Their arrival marks a new chapter for Zoo Atlanta, which has entered into a 10-year agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association for the pandas' stay. The zoo held a grand ceremony to commemorate the event, with Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond King hailing it as a "historic moment." Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng also spoke, emphasizing the pandas' role in fostering practical subnational cooperation and strengthening ties between the U.S. and China. The public showed significant interest, with lines forming outside the Panda Grove shortly after the zoo opened, and many visitors traveling from out of state to see the new arrivals.
