Giant Pandas Zoo Atlanta

It’s official, two new giant pandas arrived at Zoo Atlanta on Sunday, September 27, 2026! After nearly two years without giant pandas, they are back. Two new pandas – male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang – arrived at Zoo Atlanta as part of a new conservation agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. After a long flight aboard FedEx’s “Panda Express” from Chengdu, China, the giant pandas are getting comfortable in their new habitat at Zoo Atlanta. There is quarantine period of approximately a month before the pandas will be introduced to the public, so it will be a little while before you can see them in person. In the meantime, here’s everything you need to know about the new pandas, plus the fascinating history of giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta and across the US.

Giant Pandas Return to Zoo Atlanta

Zoo Atlanta announced in a press release on April 23, 2026 that two new giant pandas are going to make Atlanta their home. Ping Ping (male) and Fu Shuang (female) will come from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. Chinese President Xi Jinping confirmed that the pandas would arrive during the month of September.

The zoo participated in a highly successful 25-year partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association between 1999 and 2024. Follow along below for a brief history of giant pandas in the United States and specifically Zoo Atlanta. I expected this announcement. As soon as Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and the twins returned to China, Zoo Atlanta got right to work renovating their panda habitat.

History of Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta

Giant Pandas made their debut at Zoo Atlanta in 1999.  The zoo spent $7 million preparing panda habitats prior to their arrival.  The 2-year-old mating pair, named Lun Lun and Yang Yang arrived via special delivery from UPS.  The company, which is headquartered in Atlanta, used a Boeing 767 called the “Panda Express” to fly the pandas from China to Atlanta.  The giant pandas arrived at Zoo Atlanta in two of UPS’s brown delivery trucks.   

Zoo Atlanta has paid over $16 million to the China’s panda conservation program since it became custodians of the Giant Pandas.  The loan agreement required that any babies born to the pair be returned to China by the age of five.  The pair produced seven panda cubs.  The oldest five cubs all returned to China and live at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.  Due to Lun Lun’s advanced maternal age, Zoo Atlanta and their Chinese partners decided to stop reproductive initiatives. 

Atlanta’s Panda Cubs

Over the years, Lun Lun gave birth to seven babies at Zoo Atlanta. Panda babies are so tiny that they resemble a stick of butter at birth. They are completely helpless. Panda cubs require intense mothering to survive. Here is a list of the babies born to parents, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, at Zoo Atlanta:

• 2006 Mei Lan (male but originally thought to be female)
• 2008 Xi Lan (male)
• 2010 Po now known as A Bao (female)
• 2013 Mei Lun (female)
• 2013 Mei Huan (female)
• 2016 Ya Lun (female)
• 2016 Xi Lun (female)

Saying goodbye to Atlanta’s Pandas

On September 20, 2024, Zoo Atlanta announced that Lun Lun, Yang Yang, and twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun would leave for China in mid-October 2024. The zoo hosted a Panda-Palooza event on Saturday, October 5th to say good-bye to Atlanta’s panda family. The zoo announced that the pandas departed Atlanta on October 12 on a special FedEx plane called “FedEx Panda Express.” The family safely arrived in Chengdu, China on October 13, 2024.

Giant Pandas in the United States

On New Year’s Day 2024, the only four giant pandas living in the United States were found at Zoo Atlanta.  China leases giant pandas on scientific loans to zoos across the world.  All Giant Pandas including any cubs that are birthed belong to China.  Zoos typically pay an annual fee to lease the pandas plus a bonus for any babies that are born.

History of Pandas in the US Began at the National Zoo

In 1972, the First Lady Patricia Nixon mentioned her “fondness for” the animals at a dinner in China to Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai.  As a sign of goodwill, the Chinese government gave two giant pandas to the United States.  President and Mrs. Nixon decided that the pair would live in Washington DC’s Smithsonian National Zoo, where the America public could visit them free of charge.  Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing moved into their new habitat in April 1972.  While they gave birth to 5 cubs, none of them lived beyond a handful of days. 

While the Smithsonian Zoo studied the pandas, people from around the world came to see the giant pandas.  The program symbolized friendship and collaboration between the US and China.  Ling-Ling passed away in 1992 and Hsing-Hsing died in 1999 from age related complications at 28 years old.  The Smithsonian National Zoo received a second pair of pandas on loan in 2000.  Mei Xiang and Tian Tian became the parents of a baby in 2005, who was returned to China in 2010.  They became parents again in 2013, 2015, and 2020.  In 2022, the National Zoo celebrated the 50th anniversary of Giant Pandas in the US and the partnership between the US and China. 

Pandas from the National Zoo Returned to China

Over the years, the agreement between the Smithsonian National Zoo and China was continually renewed.  When the most recent agreement came to an end in 2023, it was not renewed.  The Washington DC giant pandas returned to China.  They flew from Dulles airport on a plane decorated with custom artwork dubbed, the “FedEx Panda Express.”  

Giant Pandas Return to the National and San Diego Zoo

In 2024, new giant pandas arrived at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC. Learn more about the Giant Panda Program at the National Zoo. The San Diego Zoo welcomed pandas, Xin Bao and Yun Chuan on June 27, 2024. They made their debut in August 2024 and San Diego Zoo visitors can now see the pandas in person!

Visiting the Giant Pandas at Zoo Atlanta!

The Pandas live near the back of Zoo Atlanta in the Giant Panda Conservation Center.  They have the opportunity to spend time in their outdoor habitat or their indoor air-conditioned space. 

Giant Pandas prefer cooler temperatures, so the winter is the perfect time to catch the bears in their outdoor habitat.  Once the temperatures reach 75 degrees or more, expect to see them in their air-conditioned indoor enclosure. 

You can purchase stuffed panda bears and other panda items at the Panda Pogoda shop inside Zoo Atlanta. When I was a child, my grandmother took me to see the giant panda that briefly visited the Columbus Zoo. A plush panda bear was waiting for me on my bed when I arrived at her house. I still remember how special it was to visit the pandas for the first time with my grandparents.

Get up close and personal with the Pandas

Zoo Atlanta offered programs focus on Giant Pandas. Hopefully these programs will return soon:

• Wild Encounter: Giant Panda – In this special experience, you will have the opportunity to go behind the scenes with the animal care team to learn all about how they take care of the Giant Pandas.

• Panda Themed Family Nightcrawler – Gather up your family and spend the night at the zoo! You will send the evening learning about pandas and participating in panda themed activities. One of the big treats is watching the animals, including the pandas, through night vision scopes.

Keep up with the New Pandas at Zoo Atlanta

If you are not able to make it to Zoo Atlanta in person, then you are in luck.  Zoo Atlanta broadcasts the PandaCam, which continually streams the beautiful animals on the internet.

Zoo Atlanta published a page answering frequently asked questions about their pandas.  You can read more on the Zoo Atlanta website.

You can even shop the Panda Pagoda online!

Have you visited the Pandas at Zoo Atlanta or another zoo? Do you have plans to go? Let me know in the comments!

Final Thoughts: Are the Pandas Back at Zoo Atlanta?

After a nearly two-year wait, giant pandas finally returned to Zoo Atlanta. While we wait for an their public debut date, it’s worth remembering what made the original program so special – 25 years, seven cubs, and countless Atlanta families (mine included) who grew up visiting Lun Lun and Yang Yang. I’ll be updating this post as soon as Zoo Atlanta shares more details about when you can actually see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang in person.

Save this post so you’re among the first to know when the pandas go on public display, or share it with a friend who’s been missing Zoo Atlanta’s pandas as much as I have!

Have you visited the pandas at Zoo Atlanta before, or are you excited for their return? Let me know in the comments!

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