Zoo Atlanta announced a new international agreement that will bring giant pandas back to Atlanta, continuing a decades long partnership with China. The zoo confirmed a new International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation with the China Wildlife Conservation Association that will bring two pandas, male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang, to Zoo Atlanta.
Both were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
“Zoo Atlanta is delighted and honored to yet again be trusted as stewards of this treasured species,” said Raymond B. King, the zoo’s president and CEO, in a statement. “We can’t wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and welcome our members, guests, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas.”
The move follows the end of the zoo’s previous panda agreement, which ran from 1999 through 2024 and produced seven cubs from Lun Lun and Yang Yang between 2006 and 2016.
In October 2024, the pair and their two youngest cubs, Ya Lun and Xi Lun, returned to China, where their five older offspring also now live.
The return of giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta marks a major moment for the city and brings back one of its most popular attractions.
Officials said the partnership has also supported conservation work in China, including habitat restoration and reserve management. Chinese authorities have expanded protections in recent years, establishing 67 panda reserves and launching a national park system in 2021.
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, giant pandas are classified as vulnerable, with about 72 percent of the wild population under strict protection.
Zoo Atlanta said more details, including an arrival timeline, will be announced later.
