Pandas set for 8,000-mile blind date in Atlanta - BERITAJA

CHENGDU, China — They’ve ne'er met, but Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are getting fresh for the unsighted day of a lifetime. The 2 pandas are preparing to time off China connected a about 8,000-mile travel to their new location successful Atlanta.

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang will make the lengthy travel from their existent location successful Chengdu, a metropolis of complete 20 cardinal group successful southwestern China.

While Ping Ping is an avid bamboo eater, Fu Shuang — whose sanction intends “double happiness” — is playful but a spot timid. She besides enjoys snacking connected apples and resting her chin connected her paw.

The brace will yet beryllium moved to different panda guidelines farther southbound earlier they statesman their travel to America.

Fu Shuang successful Chengdu, China, successful early May.Fred Dufour / Beritaja

“Since they person the black-and-white fur, that could make them look truthful cute,” 10-year-old Emma said.

“I’m successful Chengdu to spot an animal that represents China,” said 28-year-old Li Shu, who traveled for complete 1,700 miles to sojourn the pandas. “I’m proud. I for illustration them because they are cute.”

The pandas, whose recreation day has not yet been announced, person ne'er met. They will beryllium sent to Atlanta arsenic portion of a caller 10-year conservation statement announced up of President Donald Trump’s sojourn to China.

In a statement, Zoo Atlanta said it was “delighted” and “honored” to proceed conservation and investigation efforts alongside the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

“We can’t hold to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to invited our Members, guests, city, and organization backmost to the wonderment and joyousness of elephantine pandas,” said Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta.

The zoo has housed a brace of pandas before, pinch Lun Lun and nan Yang becoming prima attractions location backmost successful 1999. They called Atlanta location for 25 years and welcomed 7 cubs successful their clip there, but returned to China successful 2024.

China, the only state successful the world wherever elephantine pandas unrecorded successful the wild, keeps a patient grip connected their world distribution. Beijing loans pandas to different countries but maintains ownership, including complete immoderate cubs they produce.

In caller years, China has resumed sending pandas to the U.S. arsenic a motion of goodwill.

In June 2024, 2 elephantine pandas were sent to San Diego, marking the first specified presence to the U.S. successful much than 2 decades. Four months later, different brace — Bao Li and Qing Bao — arrived astatine the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

The withdrawal of a country’s panda privileges has sometimes been interpreted arsenic an enactment of displeasure by China. Japan’s past pandas were returned to China successful January, pinch Tokyo’s relations pinch Beijing astatine their lowest constituent successful years.

While not specifically tied to Trump’s visit, the latest motion has parallels crossed history. In 1972, China’s Mao Zedong marked President Richard Nixon’s sojourn to China by gifting the United States 2 pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing.