Panda-monium! Giant pandas from China make long-awaited US arrival
Atlanta, Georgia - Two giant pandas sent by China arrived in the US on Sunday, Beijing's state media said, after a leaders' summit that was heavy on symbolism and light on breakthroughs.
The pandas' transfer had already been agreed, but the departure was announced Thursday during Chinese President Xi Jinping's 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" programme to foster foreign ties.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang departed from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport on a chartered flight at around 3 AM, state news agency Xinhua reported.
After a 16-hour flight that crossed the International Date Line, the bears touched down in Atlanta, Georgia, shortly before 7 AM local time, Xinhua said later.
Steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots were prepared to keep the pandas nourished during their flight, Chinese state-run media the Global Times reported.
The pandas will be hosted by Zoo Atlanta for the next 10 years. Experienced keepers were dispatched by the US to accompany the duo on their flight, the Global Times reported.
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 new arrivals were born in 2020. Ping Ping, a male, is now 6 years old, while Fu Shuang, a female, will be 6 years old next month.
Beijing has sent the furry creatures across the globe for decades as soft-power ambassadors of its diplomatic goodwill.
In 1972, China gifted a pair of pandas to Washington, following former President Richard Nixon's historic visit to the Communist nation.
Cover photo: LUDOVIC MARIN / POOL / AFP