Pandas

The National Zoo is encouraging the pandas to search for the perfect bamboo stalks to eat, making mealtime fun.

The National Zoo’s giant pandas enjoyed some apples and carrots during Friday’s brief snowfall. 

The National Zoo’s most high-profile guests are adjusting to their new home.

The giant pandas are currently in quarantine as they acclimate to their new habitat.

The Smithsonian National Zoo is giving the public a first look at pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao getting acclimated to their new habitat at the National Zoo.

On this Science 4 Everyone, Storm Team4 Meteorologist (and Science Teacher!) Ryan Miller explains the big difference between the pandas’ native habitat in China and their new habitat at the National Zoo after Bao Li and Qing Bao touched down in D.C. recently. 

What does it take to fly two giant pandas from China to Dulles International Airport? Captain Deanna Martin, the pilot of the Panda Express, knows all about it. News4’s Joseph Olmo talks with Martin about keeping the bears entertained and more. 

During their 30-day quarantine period, Bao Li and Qing Bao will be adjusting to their new environment and getting used to their new zookeepers. News4’s Juliana Valencia talks to zoo officials on what’s going on behind the scenes. 

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute harvests the more than 100 pounds of bamboo the pandas may eat in a day.

Two big stories are spreading cheer in the D.C. area: The return of pandas to the National Zoo and the success of the Washington Commanders. Team insider JP Finlay compares the two.

Bao Li’s grandparents, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, arrived in D.C. in 2000 and lived at the National Zoo for nearly a quarter-century. Over the years, they welcomed the zoo’s first-ever surviving panda cubs.

Pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived in DC on Tuesday to cheers from fans. They’ll make their public debut in January 2025.

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, grows the bamboo the pandas will eat as they start their diet transformation. News4’s Tommy McFly reports. Produced by Haleigh Hoffman.

Now that pair of 3-year-old giant pandas is settling in at the National Zoo, here are quick answers to some of your most pressing questions.

A more than $25 million renovation of the giant panda habitat and the popular public camera system will offer the bears more comfort and safety.

Now that the pandas are back, when’s the best time to visit them? According to News4’s Eun Yang and Tommy McFly, you’ll get the most out of your visit in the colder months. Bao Li and Qing Bao will greet the first National Zoo visitors on Jan. 10, 2025. Now, only zoo members will get to see the pandas...

D.C.’s new panda residents got a very warm welcome as they entered the National Zoo for the first time.

D.C.’s new panda residents completed their journey to the National Zoo after traveling from Chengdu, China, to Dulles Airport.

Crowds cheered as the two Panda Express trucks made their way to the gates of the National Zoo. News4’s Juliana Valencia reports.

All eyes were on the pandas as they arrived from China. News4’s Joseph Olmo spoke to a couple who came to Dulles to watch the highly-anticipated moment.