Two giant pandas, a female named Qing Bao and a male named Bao Li from Chengdu, China, are debuting at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C., on Friday. This comes more than a year ...

An image of two floating panda heads. Each panda has a purple speech bubble with their name and pronunciation — Bao Li (BOW-lee) on the left, and Qing Bao (ching-BOW) on the right.

Bao Li and Qing Bao, two giant pandas, are making their public debut at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute on Jan. 24, 2025.

Qing Bao, the female panda, is more reserved and independent than her counterpart, according to Lally. Her name loosely translates to “precious treasure” from the lush mountains of China.

Bao Li and Qing Bao will be quarantined for at least 30 days and, according to the zoo, their official debut will occur on Jan. 24, 2025, after renovations to the panda exhibit.

Male giant panda Bao Li plays on a wooden climbing structure. Beginning on January 24, visitors to the National Zoo can finally see Bao Li and Qing Bao in person.

Qing Bao, known among zookeepers as a shy and contemplative panda, spent time on her climbing gym before sitting down to enjoy the bamboo special. “We had a 9:30 time slot, so I guess it was ...

Qing Bao seen in her enclosure at the National Zoo. Smithsonian Zoo. In the clip shared by the National Zoo, Qing Bao, the female, stood up and put both of her front paws on the “howdy” window.

Qing Bao and Bao Li, the respective female and male pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., are flirting! Based on their noises and clingy behavior — plus a urine sample from Qing Bao ...

Qing Bao, his female counterpart, is a tree-climbing black-and-white ball with an appetite for apples and carrots. Not all is warm and cozy in the world of panda diplomacy.

And Bao Li is chirping right back. According to the zoo, at the time Qing Bao was showing this behavior, her estrogen levels had shot way up. So, yep, she was interested.

Bao Li and Qing Bao are only three-and-a-half years old, still about 18 months shy of typical giant panda breeding age. They live separately in adjacent enclosures—an effort to mimic the conditions of ...