WASHINGTON — The nation's capital is set for some fresh panda-monium this week as two giant pandas are headed to Washington, D.C. right now.
The news comes from the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which said Monday 3-year-old Bao Li, a boy, and 3-year-old Qing Bao, a girl, are D.C. bound. The organization said the giant pandas departed China on Monday morning.
According to the China Wildlife Conservation Association, the National Zoo has renovated the home for the giant pandas and has established a supply of bamboo for the pandas to eat.
First Lady Jill Biden and Smithsonian Director Lonnie Bunch announced the plan for the pandas' return in May.
The return of pandas to D.C. comes after the region said goodbye to Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and Xiao Qi in November 2023. All three giant pandas were sent back to China as diplomatic tensions ran high between Beijing and several Western governments. China appeared to be gradually pulling back its pandas from multiple Western zoos as their agreements expired last fall.
"You know it's been about a year and we missed them," D.C. resident Mitch Kramer said. "Every time we come to the zoo we walk by and wish their cages weren't empty."
“Our number one goal is to make more giant pandas," Director of the National Zoo Brandie Smith said in May. "So everybody who is looking forward to panda cubs, I can promise that’s something we are interested in doing.”
One of the new pandas that will be sent to the National Zoo already has some ties to the District.
"Bao Li is actually the cub of Bao Bao who was our cub born in 2018," Zookeeper Mariel Lally said. "So he is the grandchild of Mai Xieng and Tien Tien.”
But on Monday, people streaming out of the zoo greeted the news of the pandas' imminent return with excitement.
"I think when everybody thinks of the zoo, they think pandas!" Kramer said. "So, yeah, I'd say pandas are a big part of the zoo!"
The National Zoo teased the return of Bao Li and Qing Bao's arrival in D.C. on its Instagram page, with a video of bamboo shaking and the phrase "Something giant is coming."
For the safety of the new bear pair and staff, the National Zoo is closed to the public on Tuesday.
Samantha Gilstrap and Matt Gregory contributed to the reporting of this story.