Giant Pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang Near Third Week in Atlanta, Still in Quarantine Ahead of Nov. 6 Debut

Atlanta — Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived in Atlanta on September 27 aboard a chartered FedEx "Panda Express" flight and have now been at Zoo Atlanta for nearly three weeks. The pair are completing a routine quarantine of about a month inside a biosecure area of the zoo's new giant panda complex and are not yet on view. On October 6, the zoo announced that the pandas will make their public debut on Friday, November 6, in the new Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove, which opens the same day.

The two pandas departed Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in the early hours of September 27, Beijing time, on a FedEx Boeing 777-F freighter painted with a giant panda on its nose, flying nonstop to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. They were the aircraft's only cargo, traveling in custom-built crates attended by Zoo Atlanta animal specialists, with fresh bamboo, water and favorite treats on board. FedEx donated the full cost of the transport, and also provided trucking and logistical support to move the pandas from the airport to the zoo. Including this move, FedEx has transported 23 giant pandas to and from China since 2000.

Ping Ping, a male, was born on March 17, 2020, at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. He has large, dark eye patches and is an avid climber; his name, given together with his twin brother's, carries a blessing for a smooth and healthy life. Fu Shuang, a female, was born on October 18, 2020, also at the Chengdu base. She has a full, slightly protruding forehead, and her name derives from "Fu Lu," a reference shared with her mother meaning "happiness."

"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 and CEO Raymond B. King said when the pandas landed. "We are elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with our Members, guests, city, and community in the coming weeks."

The pandas are in Atlanta under a new 10-year International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, first announced in April. Their new home, the Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove, is named for Arthur Blank, a longtime supporter of the zoo's panda program dating back to 1999; a $6 million renovation funded by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation added new climbing structures, pools and water features. Media are not permitted to visit the pandas during quarantine, and the zoo has since released video of Fu Shuang settling into her new quarters.

Zoo Atlanta's panda history stretches back to 1999, when Lun Lun and Yang Yang arrived from China. Over 25 years the pair produced seven offspring, including two sets of twins, before Lun Lun, Yang Yang and their youngest cubs Ya Lun and Xi Lun returned to Chengdu in October 2024. With the arrival of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, Zoo Atlanta is again one of only three zoos in the United States housing giant pandas — alongside the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., and the San Diego Zoo — and the only one in the Southeast. (Sources: Zoo Atlanta, FedEx, Reuters)

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：9月27日，FedEx「熊猫专机」抵达亚特兰大后，装载大熊猫的亚特兰大动物园运输箱在停机坪上转运。FedEx 官方发布图片，来源：FedEx 新闻中心（newsroom.fedex.com）

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