Here's when Zoo Atlanta's new giant pandas will make their debut
Zoo Atlanta has announced that Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will make their public debut Friday, Nov. 6, in the newly renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove.
The pandas arrived from China on Sept. 27 and have remained out of public view while quarantining in a secure area and adjusting to their new home.
"This is a momentous occasion in Zoo Atlanta history," zoo President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. "We are overjoyed to introduce Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and the all-new Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove to our community, City of Atlanta, State of Georgia, and beyond on November 6."
The habitat is named for Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, whose support of the zoo's giant panda program dates to 1999, when its original pair, Lun Lun and Yang Yang, arrived.
The $6 million renovation was funded through a grant from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, according to the zoo.
The updated habitat includes larger indoor areas, new climbing structures and a pool for each panda. The outdoor areas also have new climbing structures. Other additions include water features, aquatic plants and a sculpture focused on wildlife conservation.
"The Grove will give generations of Atlantans and guests from around the world the chance to experience these remarkable animals up close, while advancing conservation research, education and global efforts to protect giant pandas for generations to come," Blank said.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are living at Zoo Atlanta under a 10-year conservation agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Both were born in 2020 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.
Zoo Atlanta is one of three zoos in the United States with giant pandas and the only one in the Southeast. The Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington and the San Diego Zoo also house the animals.
The new arrivals mark the return of giant pandas to Atlanta after Lun Lun, Yang Yang and their two youngest offspring left for China in October 2024. Zoo Atlanta's original agreement with China lasted 25 years and resulted in seven panda cubs being born at the zoo.
