Giant pandas make their return to DC

By Nicole Norman | 10/15/2024 01:52 PM EDT

Bao Li and Qing Bao landed Tuesday morning, Dulles International Airport said in a social media post.

Male giant panda Bao Li is prepared for transport from Sichuan province, China.

Male giant panda Bao Li is prepared for transport from Sichuan province, China, on Monday. Jin Tao/China's National Forestry and Grassland Administration/AP

The “Panda Express” was spotted Tuesday pulling into the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.

Bao Li and Qing Bao, both 3 years old, left China on Monday for Washington, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which works with zoos on panda research.

The giant pandas arrived at Dulles International Airport in Virginia on Tuesday morning, according to a social media post by the airport. They made their way into the city in special FedEx trucks shortly after the plane touched down.

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The United States sent three experienced keepers to Sichuan province to assist in the care and transfer of the giant pandas, according to a statement from the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

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