Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang arrived safely at Zoo Atlanta at 8:55 a.m. local time on Sept. 27, marking the start of their 10-year stay at the US zoo under an arrangement between China and the US.
According to CCTV News, Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, described the arrival as an "exhilarating day" for the zoo and a "historic moment" for the city of Atlanta, the state of Georgia and the wider region.
King said Zoo Atlanta was delighted to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and looked forward to sharing the joy with its members, visitors and the local community in the coming weeks. He added that the zoo was honored to work with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to continue advancing giant panda conservation efforts.
After their arrival, the two giant pandas will enter the biosecurity area of Zoo Atlanta's newly built panda facility and undergo routine quarantine and health checks for about one month. They will not be open to the public during this period.
Zoo Atlanta said it will announce the name of the new panda facility, details of the expanded habitat and the date when the two giant pandas will officially meet the public in the coming weeks.
Zoo Atlanta said the cooperation will continue to advance giant panda conservation. For many years, the two sides have also collaborated in the conservation and breeding of rare and endangered species, scientific research and public education.
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