What to know about the National Zoo pandas

WASHINGTON (AP) — Washington’s latest energy couple, Bao Li and Qing Bao, are settling into their new dwelling on the Nationwide Zoo. The large pandas will stay off-limits by way of early subsequent 12 months, when the zoo will unveil its newly renovated panda home to the general public.

When can we see them?

Not for some time. The bears will bear a number of weeks of quarantine and medical checks as they slowly acclimate to their new setting. Along with the zoo’s small military of caretakers and panda consultants, a keeper and veterinarian from China accompanied the bears and might be staying in Washington for a couple of month.

The zoo has set Friday, Jan. 24, 2025, as the general public debut of the pandas, with a public celebration of the brand new arrivals from Jan. 29 to Feb. 9. Zoo members could have an opportunity to order tickets for a preview between Jan. 10 and Jan. 19.

How are they getting alongside?

In no way, to date. However that’s by design.

The three-year-old bears principally met for the primary time whereas they have been being transported from China and are being stored aside on the Nationwide Zoo. That is in step with regular panda conduct within the wild. Grownup pandas reside in virtually fully solitary. Grownup men and women solely actually interacting in the course of the 48-hour annual interval when the feminine is receptive to breeding.

The panda enclosure on the zoo is constructed in order that Bao Li and Qing Bao can fortunately lead solely separate lives. Panda moms and their cubs typically keep collectively for about two years earlier than separating.

What do they eat?

Pandas are pure herbivores and revel in all kinds of vegatables and fruits. However their absolute staple is massive portions of bamboo. With out sufficient bamboo of their diets, pandas can rapidly change into unwell. The zoo will get its bamboo provides from its companion facility, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and likewise from about 15 stands within the larger Washington, D.C., space. And no, non-public people can not donate bamboo.

Panda Infants?!?

Loosen up, let’s all give them a bit privateness for now.

Bao Li and Qing Bao are each three years outdated and round two years away from sexual maturity. The pair have been chosen for his or her genetic compatibility, however pandas are notoriously fussy about mating and there’s no assure that nature will merely take its course. If needed, the medical employees on the zoo have deep expertise with synthetic insemination and used the process to efficiently produce Xiao Qi Ji in 2020.

Is that bear a nepo child?

Technically sure, though it’s unclear whether or not having mother and father within the trade provides a panda a leg-up out there. Bao Li is the kid and grandchild of earlier Nationwide Zoo pandas. His grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, returned to China final 12 months alongside together with his younger uncle Xiao Qi Ji; his mom Bao Bao was born on the Nationwide Zoo in 2013 and despatched to China in 2017 as a part of the zoo’s settlement with the Chinese language authorities. Bao Bao gave beginning to Bao Li and his twin brother Bao Yuan in China in August 2021.

What in regards to the Panda Cam?

The wildly in style Panda Cam will re-start on Jan. 24 as effectively, with 40 cameras monitoring the bears’ actions. The livestream will broadcast from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and rebroadcast the day’s footage in a single day. The zoo has beefed up its digital infrastructure in preparation for the anticipated crush of on-line pandaphiles. An enormous wave of onlookers principally overloaded the Smithsonian’s servers when Xiao Qi Ji was born on digital camera in 2020.

Brandie Smith, the zoo’s director, mentioned they thought of beginning the cam early earlier than the bears made their public debut. The zoo, nevertheless, “wished to offer the pandas and the keepers further time to get to know one another with out the world watching,” Smith mentioned.

What’s the zoo’s settlement with China?

The Nationwide Zoo has signed a 10-year cooperation settlement with the Chinese language authorities underneath which it yearly pays half 1,000,000 {dollars} per bear. Any cubs born in abroad amenities incur an extra payment and the cubs are despatched to China to participate in panda conservation and breeding packages there earlier than they attain age 4.

What’s new on the panda exhibit?

The Nationwide Zoo has been busy in the course of the 11 months because the earlier occupants — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — returned to China final November. The outside panda enclosure seems to be largely the identical with some recent fences and a brand new picket climbing characteristic added. The true modifications are indoors, the place the zoo launched a multi-million greenback improve and renovation even earlier than the most recent cooperative settlement was struck to deliver big pandas again to Washington, D.C.