The pandas are coming! The pandas are coming!
The National Zoo’s long dark panda drought seems to be coming to an end
The pandas are coming! The pandas are coming!
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
The National Zoo's long dark panda drought seems to be coming to an end.
Eleven months after the zoo said sent its three wildly popular pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — back to China, a new pair of bears is set to arrive.
A pair of three-year old giant pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, have left a research facility in the southwestern Chinese city of Dujiangyan and will soon be flown to Washington, according to a statement by the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
“Food prepared for the trip includes corn bread, bamboo and carrots, as well as water and medicine,” the statement said, adding that the partnership will "make new contributions in protecting global biodiversity and enhance the friendship of the people from the two countries.”
It's unclear exactly when the bears will arrive in Washington, but there will likely be an extended quarantine and acclimation period before they are introduced to the public.
Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) arrive in Washington as part of a new 10-year exchange agreement with Chinese authorities. The previous agreement expired last year, leading to some concern among American panda-lovers that Beijing was gradually pulling its iconic furry friendship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.