2 giant pandas make public debut at Zoo Atlanta in Georgia

Two 6-year-old giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, made their public debut Friday at Zoo Atlanta, chewing bamboo and settling into their new habitat in Georgia. The pair arrived from Chengdu in late September and spent their first weeks in quarantine while adjusting to the enclosure at the Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove. Zoo Atlanta said it renovated its panda facilities, trained animal care staff and secured a long-term local bamboo supply before the bears' arrival. The zoo is now one of three in the United States housing giant pandas, along with the San Diego Zoo and the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The 10-year loan also revives a long-running symbol of U.S.-China ties often described as panda diplomacy.