On October 15, 2024, two giant pandas named Bao Li and Qing Bao embarked on a journey from Sichuan Province in southwest China to their new residence at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C. This relocation marks a significant step in a 10-year program dedicated to international panda conservation efforts. After their arrival, the pandas were introduced to the public for the first time, following a thorough 100-day period for acclimatization and quarantine.
On the day of their introduction, children from both China and the United States participated in a performance to celebrate the pandas’ debut. The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda noted that both pandas hail from Sichuan, but Bao Li has a notable connection to the zoo. His offspring, Bao Bao, was born there in 2013, and his grandparents, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, resided at the zoo from 2000 until 2023.
6 Comments
Loubianka
These pandas will serve as crucial educational tools for zoo visitors. Every visit can help raise funds for conservation.
Eugene Alta
Pandas are so beloved around the world, and this journey creates a global awareness for conservation!
Loubianka
Love seeing how kids from both countries are involved. It builds a sense of unity and awareness about wildlife conservation.
KittyKat
This whole panda relocation seems like a publicity stunt for the zoo, not a genuine conservation effort.
BuggaBoom
Why are we spending so much money to bring pandas to the U.S. when they could be better protected in their natural habitat?
Eugene Alta
100 days of quarantine? Sounds more like a vacation than a serious conservation effort.