Photo: Collected
The Smithsonian announced on Wednesday (29 May) that a pair of Chinese giant pandas will join its National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington by the end of the year, according to a release.
"Today, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) announced it will welcome a new pair of giant pandas, Bao Li [BOW-lee] and Qing Bao [ching-BOW], to the Zoo by the end of the year," the release stated.
The date of pandas’ public debut will be announced when the zoo's animal care team deems it appropriate.
A cooperative research and breeding agreement signed between the Smithsonian and the China Wildlife Conservation Association for the pair of pandas is effective through April 2034
Last November, giant pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, who had arrived at the Smithsonian in 2000, returned to China, along with their cub, Xiao Qi Ji.
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