Pandas Arrive at Zoo Atlanta on FedEx Flight

Zoo Atlanta welcomed two giant pandas from China, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, who arrived on a FedEx Panda Express Boeing 777 aircraft at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The pandas traveled from Chengdu in southwestern China, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the zoo's giant panda conservation efforts.

The arrival of the pandas was made possible through a 10-year loan agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association. As part of this agreement, Zoo Atlanta initiated an International Cooperative Research Agreement on Giant Panda Conservation to support joint research and conservation efforts in China.

Zoo Atlanta's president and CEO, Raymond B. King, expressed his excitement about the arrival of the pandas, stating, 'This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond.'