What DC’s pandas are doing before their big debut next year

D.C.’s newest giant pandas just got to town, but the Smithsonian National Zoo’s staff said they are already preparing for their big public debut on Jan. 24, 2025.

The two pandas arrived at the National Zoo on Oct. 15, but the first thing on Bao Li and Qing Bao’s agenda is a standard, 30-day quarantine to make sure any diseases or parasites that may be present in the bears are not spread to other animals.

According to National Zoo veterinarian, Dr. James Steeil, the stress of a plane ride can lead to diseases coming out.

“But for the most part, these two pandas are really healthy,” Steeil added.

Zookeepers will also begin developing important relationships with both Bao Li and Qing Bao over the next 100 days until their public debut.

“We’re going to be working on feeding them, interacting with them, getting them used to us, getting them to trust us doing training,” Laurie Thompson, the assistant curator with the panda exhibit, told WTOP. She added that the pandas will be going through a lot of training for medical purposes.

They will also get to go outside and explore their newly-renovated habitat once their quarantine period is up.

All of this is in preparation for the thousands of people that will likely pack along the Asia Trail at the National Zoo, hoping to get a glimpse of the District’s new residents.

To help the pandas adjust to crowd sizes prior to the big opening, the National Zoo will open the exhibit for members with timed entry.

“The member preview on Jan. 10-19 will really help us truly get the bears ready for the types of large crowds we expect to see,” said zoo deputy director Stephanie Brinley.

The zoo will also relaunch their Giant Panda Cams on their debut day, which are now composed of 40 different angles and will be live from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. — even pandas need a little bit of privacy.

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‘Bear-y’ big personalities

Even though they just got to town, the bears are already showing off for people working closely with them.

“We know Bao Li is a little acrobat, so he’s already been climbing all over his habitat this morning. And we also know he is a charmer,” said Smithsonian National Zoo director Brandie Smith.

Smith is also thrilled that Bao Li is a legacy of sorts — being the grandson of both Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, who left the same habitat last year.

“The keepers are already saying that he looks a lot like his grandfather. So, I can’t wait for visitors to come and see him and make that comparison themselves,” she said.

Dr. Steeil was on the 19-hour plane ride from China with both bears.

“I don’t always like to claim favorites, but I have a definite soft spot for Qing Bao for sure,” he told WTOP.

Thompson has spent ample time with the bears, visiting China before the trip and working with both of them there.

“Bao Li is definitely our more energetic and people person. He loves people and he wants to interact with people. Qing Bao is a little more reserved, so we’re giving her time to kind of get her personality to come out,” she said.

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