Chinese president says 2 giant pandas are headed to Zoo Atlanta soon
Giant panda Jie Bang eats bamboo at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding on April 20, 2026 in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China. (Photo by An Yuan/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
ATLANTA - Zoo Atlanta’s long wait for giant pandas may be nearly over.
What we know:
Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that two pandas will arrive in the coming days, though the zoo is keeping their travel date private.
Xi made the announcement at the White House before talks with President Donald Trump, according to The Associated Press. China and Zoo Atlanta announced in April that the zoo would receive Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female. Xi’s remarks offered the first public indication of when they might arrive.
"Zoo Atlanta will not be sharing the pandas’ arrival date," the zoo said in a statement provided to FOX 5 Atlanta. "We have no further information to share at this time."
A new chapter for Atlanta’s panda program
The backstory:
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China. They are coming to Atlanta under a conservation agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
PREVIOUS STORY: Zoo Atlanta to receive two new giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang
The arrival would bring giant pandas back to Zoo Atlanta for the first time since Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun returned to China in 2024, ending the zoo’s 25-year partnership at the time. Xi presented the new pandas as a symbol of friendship between the two countries during his visit with Trump.
PREVIOUS STORY: Bye-bye pandas: Zoo Atlanta's famous giant pandas return to China
The zoo has not announced when visitors will be able to see Ping Ping and Fu Shuang.