Get a First Look at the Giant Pandas Heading to Zoo Atlanta

Giant pandas are coming back to Zoo Atlanta with a pair of the iconic bears getting ready to roll. They're this way. We were invited to get a real life look at Fu Shuang and Ping Ping, both six years old and U.S. bound as part of a new 10-year conservation agreement. Panda fans will soon learn that Ping Ping is a very dedicated eater. What the keepers say about Ping Ping is that he likes to follow them around, which is unusual panda behavior, but the food probably helps. Well, Fu Shuang, which means double happiness, is playful but nervous. She likes resting her chin on her paw and apples. She can find apples anywhere. That's very clever. It's part of a revival in panda diplomacy that started in 1972 and seen as an unofficial measure of U.S.-China relations. With pairs of the treasured bears already in Washington and San Diego, Zoo Atlanta is renovating panda habitats to help them adapt. It continues a panda bond after long-term residents Lun Lun and Yang Yang returned to China with their two cubs in 2024. American James Ayala knows all of them here. You see the cubs and they seem so cuddly and clumsy and cute and then they grow up into these big majestic bears. Soon Fu Shuang and Ping Ping will be moved to another panda base in the lush mountains further south where handlers will prepare them and a lot of bamboo for the nearly 8,000-mile flight. The departure date's still top secret. Fu Shuang and Ping Ping have never met but will soon branch out together to a new address, global stardom and snacks. When the pandas go is anyone's guess. There are permits to secure, special flight plans to make, health checks to clear. It takes time and paperwork to send pandas out into the world. We are told though it's likely to take several months but the ball is rolling. Guys, your chief panda correspondent sends it back to you. All right Janice, thank you. Sounds like that Panda Express is underway.