The District’s latest star attractions are ready for their close-up: 3-year-old giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao will make their first public appearance Friday at the National Zoo.
They have been quarantined and acclimating to their new habitat since arriving at the zoo from China in October. The zoo will have the breeding pair of pandas on display in their enclosure from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on the livestreaming “panda cam” from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (A rebroadcast of the livestream will allow international audiences to see the pandas during their most active hours.)
“Bao Li and Qing Bao have already won the hearts of our staff and volunteers, and we are excited to welcome panda fans back to the Zoo — the only place in the nation where you can see giant pandas for free,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said in a press release earlier this month.
Though zoo entry is free, officials advise all visitors to reserve entry passes in advance online since the number of passes offered at the gate is limited. Children, including babies, are required to acquire entry passes.
Starting Saturday through Feb. 9, the National Zoo will hold events to celebrate Bao Li and Qing Bao’s debut, including an event marking the start of the Lunar New Year on Wednesday.
The zoo’s visitor center is offering a marathon of the first three “Kung Fu Panda” animated movies on Saturday and the second, third and fourth “Kung Fu Panda” movies on Sunday.
Metro is joining in celebrating the pandas by offering commemorative panda-themed SmarTrip cards at select Metrorail stations on Wednesday.
The cards can be obtained at the Woodley Park/Zoo, Cleveland Park and Dupont Circle stations on the Red Line, the Metro Center station on the Red, Blue, Orange and Silver lines and at the L’Enfant Plaza station on the Green, Yellow, Blue, Orange and Silver lines, Metro said in a release.
The new design, which has a hot pink background, orange bamboo, the two pandas and teal-colored grass, is the fourth panda-based look used for a SmarTrip card.
Bao Li, a male, and Qing Bao, a female, replaced 26-year-old male Tian Tian and 25-year-old female Mei Xiang, both of whom were returned to China in 2023 after arriving at the National Zoo in 2000.
Bao Li’s mother, Bao Bao, was one of the pandas born to them during their time at the National Zoo.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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