A chartered cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on Sunday morning.
The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The pandas' transfer had been already agreed but the departure was announced Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping visit to Washington. The black and white mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a "panda diplomacy" program to foster foreign ties.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around am on Sunday (1900 GMT on Saturday).
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu (Xinhua)
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu (Xinhua)
Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots have been prepared to keep the pandas nourished during their 15-hour flight, Chinese state-run media the Global Times reported.
A farewell ceremony was held for the pair before their departure by the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Experienced keepers were dispatched by the US side to accompany the duo on their flight.
In preparation for their arrival, Zoo Atlanta has renovated its panda facilities and assembled a team of animal caretakers. It has also ensured a stable and long-term supply of bamboo, grown locally in Atlanta, which has a climate that is very similar to Chengdu.
Zoo Atlanta previously hosted pandas on loan from China for a quarter of a century starting in 1999, but it has not had any since 2024.
Both the expected arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now six years old while Fu Shuang, a female, will turn six next month.
Pandas in captivity typically live for around 30 years.
The furry creatures have been sent across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors of Beijing's diplomatic goodwill.
In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following US President Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.
Beijing recalled two of its pandas from Japan early this year, following a diplomatic spat that began when Japan's prime minister hinted that Tokyo could intervene militarily in the event of any attack on Taiwan.
(Xinhua and AFP)
(Updated at 8.39pm)
