The pandas are here! Giant pandas arrive at DC's National Zoo

After nearly a year-long absence, pandas are back on D.C. soil. Within the past 25 minutes, D.C.'s two newest pandas pulled into the National Zoo. It is good to be with you. Thank you so much for joining us on the News at Noon. I'm Simone DiAlba. D.C.'s new pandas touched down just about two hours ago at Dulles International Airport. Their names are Bao Li and Ching Bao. The pair of three-year-old pandas making the overnight flight from China to Dulles on a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet dubbed the Panda Express. After being unloaded from their plane, the two pandas were put on separate FedEx trucks headed for their brand-new home at the National Zoo. That's where our Lesley Moreno kicks off our team coverage, and Lesley, I understand that the pandas just arrived at the zoo. Hey, Simone. Yeah, we are right outside the main entrance here of the National Zoo. I can confirm the pandas are officially home. They arrived, as you mentioned, about 20 minutes ago, so at around 11.35 or so. But take a look for yourself here. This is a video we captured here. The magical moment we saw, we witnessed as people were out here trying to catch a glimpse of those pandas. People were cheering. Bao Li and Ching Bao officially home. They pulled up to the gates here at the zoo at around 11.35. We know those giant pandas definitely had a long trip. They departed from China on Monday morning. They traveled on a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet dubbed the Panda Express. The plane traveling from China to Alaska, and then finally to Dulles International Airport and their final stop here at the National Zoo. The two three-year-olds, three-year-old pandas are the first pair DC has received in about 24 years, so a lot of excitement here. We definitely spoke to several people, a couple who were here all morning waiting for the pandas to arrive. Take a listen. I work at Smithsonian. I was at the Portrait Gallery for 40 years, so I feel a kind of institutional connection. And I'm thrilled that the zoo has been able to quite quickly get a pair that are young and lively and should just bring a lot more visitors to the zoo. And of course, the neighborhood is thrilled too because the pandas are great. I have no embarrassment about saying that. Well, the neighborhood was so sad when they left. And just the very notion that they're coming back has brought everyone out again. And the zoo hasn't seen much attendance since they left. So this is a new day or another wonderful day. And the zoo is such a wonderful feature in Washington, D.C. Now unfortunately, the pandas will need to quarantine for nearly a month before we can actually meet or see them. So I know we're all very excited to see those pandas, but it's going to be quite a while before we can actually meet them. And take a look. People are already handing out some panda pops here. So the pandemonium has officially begun. Simone, hey, you said it, you know, the quarantine for about 30 days and then right around the holidays in December, we should be able to finally get to see them. And we can only imagine the lines and the excitement that that's all going to bring for us. Leslie, thank you so much. We'll see you soon. Well, it was quite the scene this morning at Dulles Airport as the Panda Express touched down and the pandas were loaded off the plane and onto those waiting FedEx trucks. Our Jacqueline Quinn was there to witness it all. D.C.'s newest resident pandas, Bao Li and Ching Bao, arrived here at Dulles about five minutes early, around 11 o'clock today. And then we saw them on a motorcade making their way to the zoo. Now, you may know these beloved animals have been a fixture here at the National Zoo for 50 years. So when they left, a lot of people were disappointed, especially a number of young kids. In fact, it's been that way for months. It wasn't even clear if we'd get these pandas back again for some time. So visitors were routinely passing the panda exhibit with no live pandas in action. Then in May, it was announced Ching Bao and Bao Li, both three years old, would be coming to the zoo. And yesterday was the day these two new pandas left their native home in southwestern China, took a 20 hour flight, a short stopover in Alaska and landed here again at around 11. We talked to one photographer, an enthusiast who came out here to catch this special moment. I feel great. You know, it's maybe my last time to see the plane. Maybe they come back in 10 years, 15 years, 20 years. You know, you have to try the best shot for you. And we want to let you know that the zoo is actually closed today. Now, these pandas, they're going to have about a 30 day quarantine and then they'll have some time, a couple of weeks to really acclimate and get used to their new surroundings before they make their debut to surely the big crowds are going to be waiting to see them for now at Dulles Airport. I'm Jacqueline Quinn for WSA 9. We're already looking forward to it, Jacqueline. Thank you. And be sure to stay with WSA 9 for the very latest on the pandas return to D.C. and their impending debut at the National Zoo. Look for extended coverage on the free WSA 9 plus streaming app for Roku, Fire TV and wherever you stream.