Zoo Atlanta’s New Pandas Make Their Public Debut November 6

Ping Ping and Fu Shuang make their public debut Friday, November 6, at Zoo Atlanta’s renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove, ending a two-year wait for visitors to see giant pandas there.

The zoo opens at 10:30 a.m. Friday, later than usual for the pandas’ opening day. For families planning a weekend trip, Saturday and Sunday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 3:30 p.m.

Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, are both six years old. They arrived from Chengdu, China, on September 27. Ping Ping was born on March 17, 2020, and Fu Shuang on October 18 that year.

Their new home has larger indoor dayrooms, climbing structures and a pool in each dayroom. Outside, visitors will find new climbing structures, water features and a sculpture. The $6 million renovation was funded by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.

The grove carries Arthur Blank’s name in recognition of his support for the zoo’s panda program, which began in 1999. Atlanta’s previous pandas, Lun Lun, Yang Yang and twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun, returned to China in October 2024.

Zoo Atlanta is the only zoo in the Southeast with giant pandas and one of three in the United States. The new pair came through a conservation research agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Tickets and visitor information are available through Zoo Atlanta. The zoo’s panda page has more about Ping Ping and Fu Shuang.