Giant Pandas Make Their Public Debut at Washington DC Zoo

There is nothing cuter than a panda unless it is two pandas. If you are a panda fan then you are in luck. Two giant pandas are making their public debut on January 24, 2025 at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) in Washington DC.

The two pandas, Bao Li, pronounced BOW-lee, and Qing Bao, pronounced ching-BOW are on a 10-year loan from the Chinese government, reported The Northern Virginia Daily. Pandas have been a favorite at the zoo but the last group of pandas returned to China in 2023.

These giant bears’ natural habitats are in the temperate forests of China where they subsist on eating bamboo, lots of bamboo, according to the WWF. Despite being national treasures, pandas are an at-risk species with only 1,800 left in the wild.  

Now the latest arrivals are being celebrated. “Bao Li and Qing Bao have already won the hearts of our staff and volunteers, and we are excited to welcome panda fans back to the zoo,” Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of NZCBI said in a press release from the zoo.

It’s a Panda Party!
The zoo is celebrating the panda pair big-time, according to the press release, with events running from January 25 to February 9 that includes a lunar New Year Event.

During the Panda Party, visitors will be treated to family-friendly entertainment including screening the video Kung Fu Panda in the visitor center and participate in cultural activities provided by the Chinese embassy. Visitors will not pay an entry fee but the passes have to be reserved in advance  through the zoo’s website. There will be a limited number of passes onsite.

The zoo will also relaunch the Giant Panda Cam when Bao Li and Qing Bao make their debut. The web cam consists of 40 cameras manned by a corps of trained volunteers and is operated 12 hours a day. At 7 pm every day, the recordings are broadcast to virtual visitors around the world.

Pandas play a big role at the Washington zoo
Pandas have been a big part of the national zoo in terms of entertainment and in research conducted by the institution, according to The Northern Virginia Daily. Giant pandas have been part of long-term studies about behavior, genetics, veterinary medicine, and reproduction.

The research that was done on reproduction increased the likelihood of pregnancies of these endangered animals that are living in zoos and have also served as a model for other species. With so many species being threatened due to loss of habitat, this is a bright spot.

Now the public is invited to celebrate what Smith describes as the next chapter of the panda breeding and conservation program. This celebration of  Bao Li and Qing Bao is sure to continue long past February 9.