You Can Make a Giant Impact.
Giant pandas are returning to Washington D.C.! As part of our 52-year-old conservation partnership with the China Wildlife Conservation Association, we’re getting ready to welcome two new bears—Bao Li and Qing Bao—by the end of 2024.
Our goal is to raise $25 million to secure a future for giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and protect this magnificent bear species and the mountain forest habitats it calls home. While federal resources cover the Zoo’s essential needs for all the animals we care for, the remainder of our operating budget — including the giant panda conservation program — comes from the support of Zoo visitors, members and donors.
Here's what you can do:
Give
Your support safeguards a future for giant pandas and an entire ecosystem.
Join
Members get insider benefits, like an invite to preview the new bear pair. Member gifts support conservation.
Visit
Every dollar spent on site supports the Zoo’s mission to save animals. Admission is free.
Shop
Take our pandas home with you! Explore a limited-edition collection of t-shirts, hats, mugs and souvenirs.
Meet the Bears
Bao Li
宝力 (pronounced BOW-lee)
Male
Born Aug. 4, 2021
In Mandarin Chinese, "Bao" means 'precious' and 'treasure'. "Li" refers to vitality and strength. Put together, "Bao Li" means an active and vital power.
Qing Bao
青宝 (pronounced ching-BOW)
Female
Born Sept. 12, 2021
Her name means 'green' and 'treasure' in Mandarin Chinese. 'Qing' evokes the lush and mountainous habitat of pandas. 'Bao,' which means 'precious' and 'treasure,' reflects how cherished and adored she is.
Watch the Announcement
Watch First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, Smithsonian Secretary Dr. Lonnie G. Bunch III, and John and Adrienne Mars Director Dr. Brandie Smith as they announce the arrival of the new pandas by the end of 2024.
Make a Giant Impact.
Together with your support, we can provide expert care for the giant pandas at the Zoo and support conservation in the wild. Discover how your donation can make a difference.
Get the answers to your most pressing panda questions.
With Your Help, We Can...
- Remodel Qing Bao and Bao Li’s New Home
- Enhance the Bears’ Outdoor Habitat
- Protect an Entire Ecosystem
Indoor renovations modernize and upgrade the pandas’ interior habitat and building infrastructure. Work is underway to install new climbing structures, water features and rockwork that encourage the bears to exercise and play. A new ventilation system provides improved air quality and temperature control, and an upgraded smoke evacuation network would keep the bears safer in the unlikely event of a dangerous situation.
Also included are upgrades to the Giant Panda Cam, made possible by a network of trained volunteers. 40 centrally operated cameras, as well as three console machines and the monitors in the Giant Panda Cam operating room, are being replaced with state-of-the-art technology.
Improvements to the pandas’ outdoor habitat—including multi-level climbing structures and cooling features—give the bears more ways to engage with their surroundings. Added rockwork and perimeter fencing brings a new level of safety and security for pandas and visitors alike. Updates to the exhibit signage welcome visitors to a new era of giant panda conservation.
Funds from the giant panda program support science-based conservation efforts in the animals’ native habitat. With your help, researchers can train the next generation of wildlife professionals, lead strategies to mitigate human/animal conflict, and track threatened and elusive animal species—like the red panda and the Asiatic black bear—through high-tech camera networks.
Pandas Over the Years
Explore a detailed history and timeline of giant pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Our Conservation Work
Get up to speed on the program that helped move pandas off the endangered species list.
Black and White Is Always in Style.
Explore our collection of t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, mugs and other limited edition gear while supporting conservation. Members get a discount!
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