The Atlanta zoo has confirmed the arrival of two giant pandas from China as part of a U.S.-China agreement. These pandas, named Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. They traveled on a special FedEx Panda Express Boeing 777.
Raymond B. King, the zoo’s president and CEO, expressed his excitement about the arrival. He said, “This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for Atlanta and Georgia. We are excited to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and share this joy with our community in the coming weeks.”
Zoo visitors will need to wait before seeing Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. The pandas will undergo a month-long quarantine in a biosecure area of the new giant panda complex. Officials have not announced an exact date for public viewing.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, during a summit with President Trump, announced the pandas’ loan to Zoo Atlanta. This was one of the few concrete outcomes of the state visit.
The pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, were seen leaving Chengdu on September 26, 2026, as documented by Xinhua News Agency.
Zoo Atlanta has a long history with China’s panda agreement, spanning over 25 years. The zoo last had pandas in 2024 before their departure left the zoo without any. This new agreement, made earlier in the year, allows Zoo Atlanta to house the pandas for ten years.
Both pandas were born in 2020 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Ping Ping is a male with prominent black circles around his eyes, whereas Fu Shuang, the female, is noted for her slightly protruding forehead according to Xinhua News Agency.
China continues to use pandas in its diplomatic efforts. Pandas are often loaned as symbols of goodwill and retrieved when diplomatic tensions arise. President Xi described the loan program as a demonstration of friendship between China and the U.S.
Currently, two other U.S. zoos, the National Zoo and the San Diego Zoo, also have pandas from China. They received their pandas in 2024.
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