WASHINGTON — Giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao made their long-awaited debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
The two 3-year-old giant pandas left China for their new home last fall.
The Washington Post reported the panda pair’s return is just under a year since the last pandas housed at the Smithsonian Institution’s zoo left the U.S. and returned to China.
The zoo is featuring Bao Li and Qing Bao in a newly relaunched giant panda cam.
ABC News reports the footage will consist of 40 cameras that will be operated live between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
The pair was born in China but Bao Li is the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the D.C. zoo in 2013 and was the grandchild of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian who also lived at the National Zoo until last year, WRC reported.
Pandas first came to the U.S. on loan from China more than 50 years ago as part of what was called panda diplomacy.
It all started in February 1972 when then-first lady Pat Nixon commented about the pandas during a trip to China.
She had seen a cigarette tin with pandas on it. She told the Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai “Aren’t they cute? I love them.” The official responded, “I’ll give you some.” Nixon asked, “Cigarettes?” and Zhou responded, “No, pandas,” according to the Smithsonian.
In April 1972, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were sent to the zoo and within the first month of their arrival, more than one million people visited them. They had five cubs, but none lived more than a few days. Ling-Ling died of heart failure in 1992; Hsing-Hsing was euthanized seven years later in 1999 after suffering from kidney disease and other age-related issues.
The zoo had no pandas for a year until Mei Xian and Tian Tian were loaned by China in 2000, the Smithsonian said.
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