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 is welcoming two new giant pandas following a new research agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
New giant pandas coming to Zoo Atlanta
What we know:
Zoo Atlanta has entered into a new International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation, according to a Zoo announcement Thursday.
The two new residents are a male named Ping Ping and a female named Fu Shuang. Both pandas were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.
The agreement follows a previous 25-year partnership that ended in late 2024, during which seven cubs were born at the zoo. The zoo’s president, Raymond B. King, said the organization is honored to continue its role in the conservation of the species.
What we don't know:
Zoo officials have not yet confirmed the exact date or time when Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will arrive in Atlanta or when they will be ready for public viewing.
(Zoo Atlanta)
History of pandas in the city
The backstory:
The zoo's first panda agreement began in 1999 and concluded in 2024. During that time, the original pair, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, had seven offspring between 2006 and 2016. The entire family departed Atlanta for China in October 2024.
Protecting the species in the wild
Big picture view:
Giant pandas are currently classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The Chinese government has established 67 panda reserves and a national park system to protect the animals. Currently, 72% of wild giant pandas live in protected areas.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from a Zoo Atlanta press release, which detailed the new research agreement and the specific pandas involved.