In a move that is set to rekindle the capital's love affair with giant pandas, the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has announced the arrival of two young pandas from China by the end of this year. The pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, are part of a 10-year breeding and research agreement with China, marking a new chapter in the zoo's longstanding panda conservation program.
Bao Li, a male whose name translates to "treasure" and "energetic" in Mandarin, has a direct lineage to the National Zoo's panda family. His mother, Bao Bao, was born at the zoo in 2013, making him the grandchild of the zoo's beloved pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian. The female panda, Qing Bao, whose name means "green" and "treasure," was the ambassador of the ninth World Wildlife Day when she was a year old.
The arrival of the pandas is a testament to the success of the zoo's giant panda program, according to National Zoo director Brandie Smith. "This longstanding program, and this collaboration with our Chinese colleagues, is one of the reasons why giant pandas are no longer listed as endangered, but rather only vulnerable, on the global list of species at risk of extinction," Smith said.
The pandas' journey from their current homes in Sichuan, China, to the National Zoo will be facilitated by FedEx's "Panda Express service." Upon arrival, the pandas will be quarantined for at least 30 days before being introduced to the public.
The National Zoo will pay a yearly $1 million fee to the China Wildlife Conservation Association to support research and conservation efforts in China. The funds will not come from federal funding, but from public and corporate donations. The zoo is currently seeking $25 million in donations to renovate the panda exhibit and cover essential costs.
The agreement stipulates that China will retain ownership of the pandas, and any cubs born at the National Zoo will be returned to China by the age of 4. Chinese ambassador Xie Feng expressed hope that the agreement will bring joy to a new generation of families. "Over the past five decades, pandas have held a special place in the childhood memories of numerous Americans. They look forward to taking their kids to the zoo to tell their stories with pandas and start new ones for their little boys and girls," Feng said.
The announcement comes six months after the departure of the zoo's iconic pandas, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, and their youngest offspring, Xiao Qi Ji, who returned to China last fall. The arrival of Bao Li and Qing Bao will fill the void left by their predecessors, continuing a tradition that began in the 1970s and has since turned the black-and-white bears into D.C.'s unofficial mascots.
More for you:
