Zoo Welcomes New Pandas

Zoo Atlanta has welcomed two new pandas that are on loan from China.

In this 1999 photo, Yang Yang (left) and Lun Lun play together at Zoo Atlanta. The zoo now has two new pandas.

A zoo in Atlanta, Georgia, has welcomed two adorable new residents. A pair of giant pandas named Ping Ping (a male) and Fu Shuang (a female) are now at Zoo Atlanta, on loan from China.

“This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond,” said Raymond B. King, the zoo’s president and CEO. “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.”

The pandas traveled on a “FedEx Panda Express” airplane from Chengdu, China, to Atlanta on September 27. They will remain at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between the zoo and the Chinese government.

Trucks wait to receive Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, the zoo’s new pandas, to transport them from Atlanta’s airport to Zoo Atlanta on September 27, 2026.

Wild pandas live only in China, and lending the animals to American zoos is known as “panda diplomacy.” The Chinese government loans pandas as a show of goodwill toward the United States. While at the zoos, the pandas have cubs to help increase the total population of giant pandas. The efforts have been working. Once endangered, the species is making a comeback. Still, their population is threatened by problems like habitat loss.

Zoo Atlanta’s last pair of pandas, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, returned to China with their youngest offspring in 2024. The pandas had seven cubs together in the 25 years they were in Atlanta. Officials hope Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will also have cubs together.

The pandas will spend about a month in quarantine, which means they will be kept separate from the other zoo animals and the public, in case of disease. But it won’t be long before zoo visitors will have a chance to see the newly arrived pair. The pandas will make their public debut on November 6.

Did You Know?

Scientists don’t know why pandas are black and white. Their coloring helps them blend into bamboo forests where they live. But since pandas have no natural predators and don’t hunt other animals, they don’t need camouflage. The black and white may be a way to attract mates or warn other pandas to stay away.

Get Your Bearings

Did you know that there are eight species of bears? Let’s travel around the world and meet each one.

American Black Bear

Weight (male): Up to 600 pounds (270 kilograms)

Where it lives: Canada, United States, and Mexico

What it eats: Mostly plants, fruit, and insects; sometimes fish or young deer

Asiatic Black Bear

Weight (male): Up to 440 pounds (200 kilograms)

Where it lives: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Iran, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam

What it eats: Insects, plants, fruit, honey, small mammals, and birds

Brown Bear (includes grizzly bear and Kodiak bear)

Weight (male): 500 to 1,600 pounds (220 to 720 kilograms), depending on the subspecies

Where it lives: Many parts of Asia, Europe, and North America

What it eats: Plants, fish, small mammals, and sometimes small deer

Giant Panda

Weight (male): About 220 pounds (100 kilograms)

Where it lives: China

What it eats: Mostly bamboo; occasionally fish or small mammals

Polar Bear

Weight (male): Up to 1,600 pounds (720 kilograms)

Where it lives: Northern United States, Canada, Greenland, Russia, and Norway

What it eats: Mostly seals, whales, and fish

Sloth Bear

Weight (male): About 250 pounds (110 kilograms)

Where it lives: India and Sri Lanka

What it eats: Mostly insects; also fruit and honey

Spectacled Bear

Weight (male): Up to 350 pounds (160 kilograms)

Where it lives: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela

What it eats: Plants and fruit

Sun Bear

Weight (male): Up to 150 pounds (70 kilograms)

Where it lives: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam

What it eats: Mostly insects; also fruit and honey

Sleepy Time

Some bear species are said to hibernate in the winter. During this time, they don’t eat or drink at all. But bears are not true hibernators. They sleep a lot, but not all the time.

Some animals really do hibernate, like the dormouse in the photo. You can learn more about animal hibernation at Britannica!

WHAT'S THE WORD?

diplomacy

Part of speech:

noun

Definition:

: the work of maintaining good relations between the governments of different countries

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“In the News: Zoo Welcomes New Pandas.” Britannica School, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 14 Oct. 2026. https://news.eb.com/level1/zoo-welcomes-new-pandas. Accessed 15 Oct 2026 [Replace this date with today’s date.]