Meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang – the two pandas loaned to the US by China
Two giant pandas have arrived in Atlanta – having traveled thousands of miles from Chengdu, China.
The two bears, a six-year-old male named Ping Ping and a five-year-old female named Fu Shuang, arrived as part of what has long been referred to as “Panda diplomacy” – the practice of loaning pandas as a tool for international relations.
Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the loan during a high-stakes state visit to the United States for talks with President Trump. The trip came amid tensions between the two countries over trade and concerns over artificial intelligence.
“The giant panda has been an envoy of friendship between the Chinese and the Americans,” Xi said last week. “Here, I have a piece of good news. In a few days, two pandas – Ping Ping and Fu Shuang – will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people.”
Both Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were born back in 2020 and have been previously kept at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Ping Ping shares a name, which means “peace,” with the first-ever panda gifted to the Soviet Union back in 1957.
China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration says that his birthday lands on March 17. He has large black patches around each of his eyes and loves climbing trees.
Fu Shuang, whose name means “double blessings,” was born seven months after Ping Ping on October 18. She has a slightly protruding forehead and a small tuft of fur atop her head, the agency says.
Fu Jia, the bear’s keeper, described Ping Ping as “brave and gentle” on Chinese broadcaster CCTV, CNN reports.
“During training sessions, when he spots me holding an apple, he will make soft whimpering sounds, eager for the treat,” she said, adding that Fu Shuang is “crazy about honey.”
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday via a FedEx Boeing 777-F known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”
The two animals were transported in custom-built crates and were the only cargo aboard the jet, save for bamboo, water and treats, FedEx confirmed.
The delivery company, which has worked with China’s government to transport pandas for decades, also says that it donated the full transportation costs for the pandas in order to support conservation efforts.
Both Ping Ping and Fu Shuang were quarantined ahead of the journey from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and were allowed to become accustomed to their crates so that they were comfortable during the trip, FedEx says.
