Two giant pandas have arrived at Zoo Atlanta, marking the return of the much-loved species to the Georgia zoo less than two years after its previous pandas departed for China.
Male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on September 27, 2026, after travelling from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China aboard a specially designated “FedEx Panda Express” Boeing 777.
The two pandas, both born in 2020, will live at Zoo Atlanta under a new International Cooperative Research Agreement between the zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Their arrival makes Zoo Atlanta one of only three zoos in the United States currently home to giant pandas.
A new chapter for Atlanta's pandas
Giant pandas have a long history in Atlanta. Zoo Atlanta first welcomed the species in 1999, beginning a 25-year partnership with China. During that period, pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang produced seven cubs, including two sets of twins.
That chapter came to an end in October 2024, when Lun Lun, Yang Yang and their youngest offspring, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, returned to China. Ping Ping and Fu Shuang now begin a new era for the zoo's panda program.
Their arrival also came shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping met US President Donald Trump in Washington. During the visit, Xi announced that the pandas would soon travel to Atlanta. The Guardian, citing the Associated Press, reported that the panda agreement was among the concrete outcomes announced around the summit. Giant pandas have long played a role in cultural and diplomatic exchanges between China and other countries, a practice often referred to as “panda diplomacy.”
When can visitors see the new pandas?
Visitors will have to wait a little longer before meeting Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. The pandas are currently staying in a biosecure section of Zoo Atlanta's new giant panda complex while undergoing a routine quarantine period expected to last around a month.
Zoo Atlanta has not yet announced an exact public debut date. The zoo says further details about the pandas' expanded habitat and when visitors will be able to see them will be announced in the coming weeks.
Once the pandas go on display, their arrival will once again make Atlanta one of the relatively few places in North America where visitors can see giant pandas in person.
