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Fans of the Smithsonian National Zoo are pining in anticipation as two new giant pandas from China are expected to land in D.C. Tuesday, nearly a year after the zoo’s exhibit was devastatingly vacated.

It’s been 11 months since three of the famed bears left the District, leaving local panda lovers in a lurch. Now, they will no longer have to bear the pain of a panda-less National Zoo.

Officials said Monday that Bao Li and Qing Bao, both three years old, were heading to D.C. — prompting panda-monium with the bears much-anticipated return to the nation’s capital now in sight.

The “Panda Express” — a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet carrying the bears — is scheduled to land Tuesday.

It marks the continuation of the giant panda conservation program partnership between China and the U.S.

11 months of despair for DC with no pandas

On the afternoon of Nov. 8, 2023, beloved bears Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji boarded the “Panda Express” at Dulles International Airport.

The three bears flew 19 hours to the Wolong Panda Reserve in Chengdu, China. It was a tough goodbye for zoo staff and fans with uncertainty about whether the black-and-white bears would ever return.

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian first arrived at the National Zoo in December 2000. In 2020, Mei Xiang gave birth to Xiao Qi Ji, becoming the oldest panda in the U.S. to give birth.

The zoo’s panda exhibit brought in millions of visitors each year. But it’s been unoccupied since November. In the panda’s absence, the zoo upgraded the enclosure, making improvements to help visitors get a clearer view of the pandas among other changes.

What do we know about Bao Li and Qing Bao

The pandas left southwest China on Monday, ready for travel with snacks such as bamboo shoots and carrots as well as medications in hand, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Last May, the National Zoo announced the two pandas would be transported to the zoo by the end of 2024.

They’re the first pair of pandas China has sent to D.C. in 24 years.

One of the pandas arriving Tuesday is a descendant of the Smithsonian’s former “panda family.” Bao Li is the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the D.C. zoo in 2013.

“He reminds me a lot of his grandfather, Tian Tian,” panda keeper Mariel Lally told CNN. She will be taking the journey to D.C. with Bao Li and Qing Bao.

‘Panda diplomacy’ in a black-and-white world

The National Zoo was the first in the U.S. to take part in what’s become known as “panda diplomacy.”

When a mass exodus of pandas over the past couple of years took place as panda leases between U.S. zoos and China expired, some feared the partnerships were coming to a close.

But around the time the Smithsonian’s pandas departed last November, Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled that China would send new pandas to the U.S., calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”

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Two giant pandas bound for the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., have left the Chinese city of Chengdu for their long journey to a new home.

A cargo jet operated by FedEx is transporting the pair, both aged 3 years old, the Associated Press cited the China Wildlife Conservation Association as saying in its statement.

The pair — one female called Qing Bao and one male called Bao Li — will arrive almost a year since the last giant pandas left Washington D.C. Their move is part of an ongoing conservation project with Beijing that dates back several decades and is often informally referred to as an element in China’s “panda diplomacy” with several nations that includes the United States.

First lady Jill Biden was part of a group that announced their planned arrival during a video released in late May.

The National Zoo has not issued any precise details of their arrival out of security concerns, and phone calls to the zoo went unanswered late Monday. But the zoo on social media hinted at the duo’s expected Tuesday arrival in announcing that the zoo would be closed that day.

Zoo staff hope to raise $25 million to aid in giant panda conservation efforts, including greater protection of their mountain forest habitats in rural China. The zoo recently issued a fundraising demand on its website, asking for help from visitors, members and donors.

A Boeing 777 cargo jet — nicknamed the “Panda Express” — is slated to arrive via Alaska at Virginia’s Dulles International Airport mid-morning on Tuesday, according to flight tracking websites that have identified a FedEx aircraft that departed from Chengdu.

According to the AP, the Chinese conservation association said that zoo officials and veterinary staff will be accompanying the animals. Medicine, water and specially prepared meals of bamboo, Chinese cornbread and carrots are also in tow.

Panda-monium is back! … Or at least, on the way. A pair of 3-year-old giant pandas have begun their journey to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., according to officials from the China Wildlife Conservation Society and Chinese state-owned media.

Bao Li and Qing Bao will arrive nearly a year after the zoo’s last three pandas left for China, leaving D.C. without pandas for the first time in more than two decades.

At the time, it wasn’t clear when — or if — D.C. would ever again be home to giant pandas, but it turned out we wouldn’t have to wait all that long. In May, officials announced that China planned to send a pair of young pandas, male Bao Li and female Qing Bao. But at the time, they didn’t provide an official arrival date.

On Sunday night, according to Chinese state-owned media, Bao Li and Qing Bao left the Dujiangyan base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in a special vehicle en route to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. They were set to then board a special flight to the D.C. area on Monday, according to the Chinese state-owned Xinhua News Agency, with a translation checked by NBC’s Peter Guo.

A spokesperson for the National Zoo declined to comment Monday, telling NBC: “For the safety of animals and staff, we are not able to confirm any details at this time. Thank you for your patience.”

The expected bundles of joy will come to the National Zoo under a 10-year breeding and research agreement between China and the U.S., the zoo has said.

Meet DC’s newest future residents: Giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao

Although the two were born in China, Bao Li (BOW-lee) has some major D.C. roots: He is the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the National Zoo in 2013. That makes him the grandchild of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, who lived at the Zoo for about 23 years before moving to China last November with their youngest offspring.

“The pandas’ arrival is not just an exciting event, but it’s proof positive of the success of our giant panda program,” National Zoo director Brandie Smith said when the plan was announced in May.

Bao Li, whose name means “treasure” and “energetic” in Mandarin Chinese, was born Aug. 4, 2021, and lived at the Shenshuping Base in Wolong, China.

“Bao Li is just as handsome as his uncles, Tai Shan and Xiao Qi Ji,” Chinese ambassador Xie Feng said at a press conference in May, referring to two more of Mei Xiang and Tian Tian’s offspring, who were also born at the National Zoo. “I believe he is also excited for the upcoming trip from his hometown in Sichuan to D.C. to see the place where his family lived and get to know the friends here.”

As for Qing Bao (ching-BOW): “She is a star,” Xie said back in May. Qing Bao was made the ambassador of the ninth World Wildlife Day when she was a year old.

Qing Bao, whose name means “green” and “treasure,” was born Sept. 12, 2021, and lived at the Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan.

FedEx was expected to fly the new pair to the United States via its “Panda Express service.” Neither FedEx nor the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority provided public comment Monday.

The animals were expected to be quarantined for at least 30 days, and then allowed to settle in for a few weeks before the newly revamped panda exhibit opens to the public at the National Zoo.

“The public debut date will be announced as soon as the animal care team feels the bears are ready to meet visitors,” zoo officials previously said.

Under the new agreement, the National Zoo will pay $1 million per year to the China Wildlife Conservation Association to “support research and conservation efforts in China,” the zoo has said. That money does not come from federal funding, according to the zoo.

In May, the National Zoo said it was looking to raise $25 million to pay for renovations to the panda exhibit, upgrade the Giant Panda Cam, pay for costs of operating the panda exhibit and to support conservation efforts. It announced a $10 million donation from David Rubenstein last month.

The zoo said crews were also installing new climbing structures, water features and rockwork for exercise and play. A new ventilation system will improve air quality and temperature control, and the zoo also upgraded its smoke evacuation network to keep the pandas safer in an emergency, officials said. 

Chinese ambassador Xie Feng revealed new details about the giant pandas coming to D.C.’s National Zoo.

China will retain ownership of the pandas, and any cubs must be returned to China by age 4 — similar to the previous agreement involving Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their offspring.

The Chinese ambassador hopes the agreement will bring joy to a new generation of families, he said in May.

“Over the past five decades, pandas have held a special place in the childhood memories of numerous Americans. Today, many of those happy kids have become grandpas and grandmas, dads and moms themselves. They look forward to taking their kids to the zoo to tell their stories with pandas and start new ones for their little boys and girls,” Xie said.

Giant pandas were a staple at D.C.’s National Zoo for over 50 years

The National Zoo’s longstanding resident pandas, Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, departed D.C. last fall, along with their youngest offspring, Xiao Qi Ji, who was born at the zoo in 2020. The three went to new homes in the China Wildlife Conservation Association, leaving the National Zoo’s giant panda habitat vacant for the first time in decades.

Pandas first arrived at the National Zoo in the 1970s and evolved into D.C.’s unofficial mascots. The black-and-white bears appeared on Metro farecards and street signs and as statues around the District.

The panda conservation program flourished after Tian Tian and Mei Xiang arrived in D.C. in 2000. Mei Xiang gave birth to four surviving cubs. Tai Shan was born in 2005, but his birth was followed by a long dry spell before a crushing blow: A cub born in 2012 lived for just a week.

The following August, we got both hope and sadness: A squirming newborn arrived, along with a stillborn twin. But as D.C. held its collective breath, the living cub thrived. Bao Bao squawked adorably during vet exams captured on video, tumbled (safely — whew!) down a pile of rocks, and even prolonged the excitement when the National Zoo’s webcam went dark during a government shutdown. When the cams went live again, she had a new surprise: Her eyes had opened.

Maybe it was just us, but Bao Bao always seemed to know when to drum up some attention. She was the source of some adorable headlines. (Case in point: Mei Xiang Cuddles Cub Rather Than Snacking.) There was a paternity drama — was her biological father the zoo’s own Tian Tian, or another male panda whose sperm was also used in a fertility attempt? (Verdict: Tian Tian IS the father.) And just before Christmas 2014, Bao Bao spent 24 hours in a tree, diverting focus from holiday celebrations before she finally climbed down.

But after becoming a big sister, Bao Bao was ready to strike out on her own. She moved to China — taking a similar FedEx journey as the rest of her family members ultimately did — and became a mom herself.

Bao Bao’s birth at the National Zoo was followed by two surviving younger brothers: Bei Bei in 2017 (who was born with a twin who died days after birth) and Xiao Ji Qi, the first panda in the U.S. born after his mother was artificially inseminated with frozen, instead of fresh, semen.

The agreement to keep Tian Tian and Mei Xiang was extended several times. The panda program has always served as a gesture of friendship and a sort of soft diplomacy between China and the United States. The pullback of pandas from the National Zoo and other zoos in the United States initially sparked some concern. Currently, there are only four pandas in the country – all at Atlanta’s zoo.

But in February, news that China would send a new pair of giant pandas to the San Diego Zoo signaled the return of panda diplomacy. The pair arrived in June and, after a period of settling into their new habitat, made their public debut in San Diego last month.

Despite the links with U.S.-China diplomacy, negotiations regarding pandas are conducted among researchers and aren’t based in politics, Smith told News4 last summer.

“We’re a bunch of scientists; we’re a bunch of animal people,” Smith said. “This is not a political conversation. This is absolutely a conversation between colleagues talking about, what’s best for the overall program, and also, what can be best for individual animals?”

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