2 New Giant Pandas Coming To DC's National Zoo
Two giant pandas are coming to Washington's National Zoo from China by the end of the year. The zoo made the announcement Wednesday. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., has announced that two new giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, will be at the zoo by the end of the year. The announcement follows the departure of three pandas from the zoo in November, which led to a public outpouring of farewell from fans. The new pandas will replace Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, who are related to the zoo's former "panda family." The National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has been leading a giant panda conservation program for over five decades. The agreement allows a male and female giant pada recommended for breeding to be sent from China to the National Zoo, with any offspring under the ownership of DC. The zoo will pay a $1 million annual fee to support research and conservation efforts in China.
ที่ตีพิมพ์ : 10 เดือนที่แล้ว โดย Deb Belt ใน Science
WASHINGTON, DC — After staff and visitors at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., mourned the departure of its three giant pandas for their homeland in China, officials said Wednesday that a new pair of giant pandas will call the zoo home by the end of the year.
Bao Li and Qing Bao will replace giant pandas Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, which went to China last November, prompting a nationwide outpouring of farewell from panda fans. One of the two new giant pandas is related to the zoo’s former “panda family,” the staff said.
• Bao Li: The two-year-old male — whose name means “treasure” and “energetic” in Mandarin Chinese — was born Aug. 4, 2021, at the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan to father An An and mother Bao Bao. Not only was Bao Li’s mother born at the D.C. facility in 2013, his grandparents, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, lived at the National Zoo from 2000 to 2023.
• Qing Bao: The two-year-old female Qing Bao — whose name means “green” and “treasure” in Mandarin Chinese — was born Sept. 12, 2021, at the center in Sichuan, to father Qing Qing and mother Jia Mei. Bao Li currently lives at the Shenshuping Base in Wolong. Qing Bao lives at Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan.
Other American zoos also have sent pandas back to China as loan agreements lapsed amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China. Zoo Atlanta, the last U.S. zoo with pandas in its care, expects to say goodbye to the four giant bears this fall, the Associated Press reported. It's possible that America will welcome another new panda pair before the Atlanta bears depart. The San Diego Zoo said last month that staff members recently traveled to China to meet pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, which could arrive in California as soon as this summer.
Giant pandas are icons in Washington, D.C., where for more than five decades, the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has created and maintained a giant panda conservation program helping move the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the global list of species at risk of extinction, the facility said.
“We’re thrilled to announce the next chapter of our breeding and conservation partnership begins by welcoming two new bears, including a descendent of our beloved panda family, to Washington, D.C.,” said Brandie Smith, NZCBI’s John and Adrienne Mars Director. “This historic moment is proof positive our collaboration with Chinese colleagues has made an irrefutable impact. Through this partnership, we have grown the panda population, advanced our shared understanding of how to care for this beloved bear and learned what’s needed to protect wild pandas and preserve native habitat.”
Per standard procedure, the pandas will be quarantined in the panda house for a minimum of 30 days upon arriving in D.C. to reduce risk of introducing parasites or disease to other animals. After quarantine ends, the bears will have a few more weeks to settle into their new habitat. The public debut date will be announced once the animal care team feels the bears are ready to meet visitors. The zoo will relaunch the Giant Panda Cam when its new pair of pandas make their public debut, ensuring virtual visitors can join in the event.
A new research and breeding agreement signed by Smith and Wu Minglu, secretary general of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, is effective through April 2034. Under the terms a male and female giant panda recommended for breeding will be sent from China to the National Zoo. Both adults and any offspring remain under the ownership of China. Any cubs born in D.C. will move to China by the age of 4. The zoo will pay a $1 million annual fee to CWCA to support research and conservation efforts in China. Federal funding is not used to pay the annual fee.