See exclusive look at Zoo Atlanta's giant pandas ahead of public debut
Giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are making their public debut at Zoo Atlanta's new Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove on Friday.
The zoo gave "Good Morning America" a first look at a video of the 6-year-old giant pandas in their new habitat ahead of Friday morning’s opening ceremony.
New video provided by the zoo shows Ping Ping and Fu Shuang chowing down on bamboo stalks and enjoying their habitat.
According to the zoo, Ping Ping, a male panda, is the older of the duo and was born on March 17, 2020. His name represents a smooth and healthy life. Female panda Fu Shuang, whose name derives from "fu lu," meaning happiness, just turned 6 on Oct. 18.
Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta, described Ping Ping as "a goofball" and Fu Shuang as having a quieter personality.
"He has got a lot of personality. She's a little more reserved, probably a little more cautious in trying new things," King told "GMA." "But they've both adapted very, very well."
"They have just a very unique, remarkable way of bringing the world to a stop, so I think if you come in, stressed with outside concerns, those just kind of drift away as soon as you start looking at those pandas," King added.
Both giant pandas were born at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China and arrived at Zoo Atlanta in September.
The zoo said the pair then completed a routine quarantine period in a "biosecure area" of the panda grove.
The pandas will remain in the U.S. temporarily as part of a giant panda conservation agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
Ping Ping and Fu Shuang are the latest giant pandas on loan from China. The last time Zoo Atlanta had giant pandas was in 2024. That year, giant pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang, who first arrived at the zoo in 1999, returned to China with their two youngest cubs, Ya Lun and Xi Lun.
Lun Lun and Yang Yang now live in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding along with their offspring.
The U.S. currently has three zoos, including Zoo Atlanta, with giant pandas loaned from China. The other two zoos with giant pandas are the San Diego Zoo (Yun Chuan and Xin Bao) and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. (Bao Li and Qing Bao).
