Love is in the Air for National Zoo Pandas: See Them Flirting!

What first appears as a cute backscratch jovial jumps or a blissful bounce around the pen is actually love in the air. Zookeepers tell us that the giant panda bow Lee is Barry into chin bow. What we're seeing here like similar to middle school kids flirting or is it more than that. There's a lot of flirting going on right now, although to ballot Valley or not at breeding age yet there's a lot of flirting and a lot of chatting back and forth. Mary O'Leary is one of the giant pandas zookeepers and says the behavior between the 2 pandas has changed in recent weeks, Ali he is and up his testosterone is very high and he is very active. He sent marking a lot he's looking for the ladies to about has become very active. She started to look for Bally never wants anything to do with Ali and she's been vocalizing at him. Well the pandas live in separate enclosures. They share with the zoo calls howdy windows mesh screens that allow the pair to interact with one another safely Lally says the sparks between the bears are positive signs that Bally and chin bow could potentially breed naturally one day. The technical data that tells you that they're compatible and that they're ready to do this but there is a social component to it right there is a social component because our hope is is to breed natural all of our cubs from nation and and and we're born through artificial insemination which is great and it works and help get the panda numbers up, but we would love to be able to have a natural birth from Bally and chin bow. If the pandas are able to conceive a cup naturally it would be the first time in decades for the zoo's conservation program of this vulnerable species which dates back to the 70's when China sent pandas Ling Ling and as a diplomatic gift following president Nixon's visit to the country, Washington DC the pandas have landed after almost a year of no pandas here in DC Bali and chin bow arrived in the U.S. on the Panda Express in October of 2024, making their official debut at the National Zoo earlier last year while the chemistry between Bali and chin bow is giving visitors a clause for celebration. How exciting would it be though for a baby to be born here that to me. Now it just 4 years old breeding, the 2 pandas is on pause. Since they're not a breeding age. We're not putting them together even though they show a lot of interest in one another and most likely if we open that door it would just be a big play session. We're not going to do that we're just kind of you know letting them be teenagers right now. Letting them be teenagers so Ryan if this love connection and stay strong when might they be allowed to solidify their love. Yeah, I think we do need to slow our role here a little bit Laura they are really just teenagers in terms of panda years they're only 4 years old normally the breeding window for pandas open somewhere between 5 and 7 years old so it could happen as soon as next year, but get this when it does happen is a very small window, maybe just 24 to 72 hours when they are ready to breed and could actually conceive a cub but they do have the option of doing it once a year potentially going into their 20's. So the zoo does have the opportunity to be patient. But as you can see what's happening here right now that's the male panda and he's going up to this window right here between the 2 enclosures and he's trying to get her attention he's been trying to get her attention all morning long. And guys she's playing hard to get today. So it's not happening today, it could be a while and we are so we're in your town on Capitol Hill. You're live narration of that and the 3rd. Ryan we've been calling it that way bridgerton over here beltway bridgerton well, yeah, listen. Craig if it's anything I know it's flirting. For kids. You're right about that yeah. And this is so close to going off the rail. I just told the line right on the edge there.