Two giant pandas arrive in Atlanta from China — Al Jazeera

Two giant pandas from China — male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang — have arrived at Zoo Atlanta in the US state of Georgia. The animals were loaned for 10 years under an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, Al Jazeera English reports.

Flight from Chengdu

The pandas departed on Sunday from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwestern China. After a 16-hour charter flight, they landed in Atlanta shortly before 7:00 a.m. local time.

During the flight via Alaska, the FedEx Boeing 777 topped Flightradar24's global tracking ranking. Chinese state media reported that steamed corn buns, bamboo shoots and carrots had been prepared for the animals. According to those reports, the pandas were accompanied by a specialized care team during the journey.

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Quarantine in the new complex

Visitors will not be able to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang immediately: they will spend about a month in quarantine in a biosecure area of the new giant panda complex. Both animals were born in 2020.

Before the pandas arrived, Zoo Atlanta upgraded the enclosures and secured a long-term supply of local bamboo. Thanks to the new agreement, Atlanta became one of three US cities whose zoos house giant pandas.

Zoo statement

The transfer of the animals was completed in April, and Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the timing of their arrival on Thursday during a visit to the White House. Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said the zoo was pleased to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang.