Two giant pandas from China, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, arrived in Atlanta to begin a 10-year loan to Zoo Atlanta after a roughly 16-hour FedEx flight. Experienced keepers accompanied them, and the zoo has renovated facilities, assembled a care team, and secured local bamboo supplies. The pair will undergo a month-long quarantine in a biosecure area before public display. Their arrival highlights China’s longstanding "panda diplomacy," which dates back to 1972.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang Touch Down in Atlanta — China’s Giant Pandas Begin 10-Year Loan to Zoo Atlanta
A panda at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where the pair sent to Atlanta departed from (Hector RETAMAL)
Two giant pandas sent from China arrived in Atlanta on Sunday to begin a 10-year loan to Zoo Atlanta, officials in Beijing and the zoo confirmed. The arrival followed a leaders' summit marked more by symbolism than policy breakthroughs, and Beijing announced the transfer during President Xi Jinping's visit to Washington.
The pair — a male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang — departed Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at about 3:00 a.m. local time (1900 GMT Saturday), Chinese state media reported. After a roughly 16-hour journey that crossed the international date line, the pandas landed in Atlanta, Georgia, shortly before 7:00 a.m. local time on Sunday.
Comfort and Care During Transit
Zoo staff and experienced keepers accompanied the pandas on the flight. Caretakers prepared steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots to keep the animals comfortable during the trip. The Boeing 777 operated by FedEx — nicknamed the "FedEx Panda Express" — was widely tracked on FlightRadar24 as it crossed into Alaskan airspace.
Preparation and Quarantine
Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities, assembled a dedicated care team, and secured a stable, long-term supply of locally grown bamboo. Because Atlanta’s climate is similar to the pandas' native region of Chengdu, keepers say the environment will help them settle in. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will initially be housed in a biosecure section of the zoo for a routine quarantine of about a month before they are displayed to the public.
“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 Raymond King said in a statement.
Background and Significance
Zoo Atlanta previously hosted pandas beginning in 1999 and has seen seven cubs born there; all have since returned to Chengdu. The zoo had been without pandas since 2024. Both new arrivals were born in 2020 — Ping Ping is six years old now, and Fu Shuang will turn six in October. Pandas in captivity commonly live to around 30 years of age.
China has long used giant pandas as soft-power ambassadors, a practice that dates back to 1972 when Beijing gifted pandas to Washington following President Richard Nixon's visit. Earlier this year, China recalled two pandas from Japan amid a diplomatic dispute after comments by Japan's prime minister about potential intervention in the event of an attack on Taiwan — a reminder that panda loans can carry political as well as cultural significance.
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