Home National Zoo unveils giant pandas to visitors; launch camera to view the pair worldwide
U.S. & World News

National Zoo unveils giant pandas to visitors; launch camera to view the pair worldwide

Crystal Graham
Giant panda Bao Li at National Zoo
Giant panda Bao Li/Photo by Roshan Patel

Two giant pandas made their public debut on Friday at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C.

Bao Li and Qing Bao are in separate enclosures and spend most of their day eating bamboo, climbing trees and taking naps. The pair are hard to tell apart, but the zoo has shared some tips that should help visitors.

The festivities included a ceremonial opening of the Asia Trail exhibit, and the zoo was declared the “District of Panda.”

“For over 50 years, giant pandas have been an integral part of the fabric and culture of Washington, D.C., thanks in large part to the support of the communities that live and work in the district,” said Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. “Bao Li and Qing Bao have won our hearts, and we’re excited to welcome panda fans back to the zoo — the only place in the nation where you can see giant pandas for free — and celebrate the newest chapter of our giant panda breeding and conservation program.”

Smith was joined by Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G. Bunch III, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and Ambassador Xie Feng of the People’s Republic of China, who spoke on the impact of pandas as a symbol of global collaboration.

Welcoming events are planned at the zoo through Feb. 9.

Admission is free. Free entry passes and paid parking passes should be reserved through the zoo’s website. Guests of all ages must have their own free entry pass.

To see the pandas at the zoo, visitors should be prepared to stand in line and enter via the Asia Trail entrance across from the zoo’s visitor center.

A limited number of same-day passes may be offered at zoo entrances for visitors without access to the zoo’s website.

A collection of limited edition merchandise is available to celebrate the pandas, and bags of giant panda-themed M&Ms are also available.

Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived at the zoo on Oct. 15.

Giant panda Qing Bao at national zoo
Giant panda Qing Bao/Photo by Roshan Patel

Giant Panda Cam now live


The zoo relaunched the Giant Panda Cam, sponsored by The Boeing Company, on Friday morning.

The Giant Panda Cam is composed of 40 cameras operated from a central system by specially trained volunteers.

The webcams broadcast from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

After 7 p.m., the day’s recording is rebroadcast to ensure virtual visitors around the world can view the animals.


Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.