Two giant pandas – Ping Ping and Fu Shuang – landed Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday morning via a dedicated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777.
The pandas are in Atlanta through a new International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation initiated between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, according to a press release. Zoo Atlanta is now one of three zoos in the U.S. to house giant pandas and is the only zoological organization in the Southeast the species will call home.
“This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. “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. Zoo Atlanta is honored to partner with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to see important work continue toward the conservation of giant pandas, which is the most important benefit of guarding this species.”
Male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang (pronounced Foo Shwong) were born in China at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on March 17, 2020, and Oct. 18, 2020, respectively.
Ping Ping’s name is part of a name given at birth to him and his twin brother, representing a blessing for a smooth and healthy life. Fu Shuang’s name comes from “Fu Lu,” a reference to her and her mother and meaning “happiness.”
The bears will be housed in a biosecure area of Zoo Atlanta’s new giant panda complex for a routine quarantine period of around a month. The zoo said it would announce details about the panda’s new habitat and when visitors could expect to see them.
Zoo Atlanta’s original giant panda agreement with China, originated in 1999 and concluded in 2024, resulted in a highly productive 25 years of partnership, with seven offspring born to the pair Lun Lun and Yang Yang between 2006 and 2016. Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and their two youngest offspring, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, departed Atlanta for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in October 2024; the pair’s first five offspring also reside there.
