Panda fans flock to Zoo Atlanta for the debut of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang

ATLANTA (AP) — Zoo Atlanta’s newest pandas munched bamboo and lounged Friday during their public debut as smiling visitors lined up to welcome them. Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang, a female, arrived in September from China under a 10-year loan agreement, bringing the cuddly black-and-white bears back to the zoo after a two-year absence. After spending the past weeks getting acclimated to their habitat, the 6-year-old pandas greeted visitors in the newly renovated Arthur M. Blank Panda Grove. kAmt:89E\J62C\@=5 #2496= $FE96C=2?5 2?5 96C 72>:=J H6C6 G:D:E:?8 7C@> $24C2>6?E@[ r2=:7@C?:2[ 2?5 6IE6?565 E96:C G242E:@? 3J 2 52J E@ D66 E96 A2?52D]k^Am kAm“%96J’C6 2>2K:?8[” D2:5 #2496=] $96 D2:5 D96 H2D A2CE:2= E@ !:?8 !:?8 3642FD6 E96 ?2>6 C6>:?5D 96C @7 E96 4@=@C A:?<]k^Am kAm!:?8 !:?8 92D 5:DE:?4E:G6 52C< 4:C4=6D 2C@F?5 9:D 6J6D[ H9:=6 uF $9F2?8 92D 2 AC@ECF5:?8 7@C69625[ 244@C5:?8 E@ ):?9F2 }6HD p86?4J] q@E9 H6C6 3@C? 2E r96?85F #6D62C49 q2D6 @7 v:2?E !2?52 qC665:?8 :? r9:?2]k^Am kAm%96 pE=2?E2 K@@VD A2?52 6?4=@DFC6 925 366? 6>AEJ D:?46 a_ac[ 27E6C 7@FC @E96C A2?52D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^K@@\2E=2?E2\8:2?E\A2?52D\chagh73_gcdb4aa25d6f726ccd`fhea_QmC6EFC?65 7C@> E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D E@ r9:?2k^2m[ 6?5:?8 2 ad\J62C A2CE?6CD9:A 2>:5 DEC2:?65 C6=2E:@?D 36EH66? E96 EH@ 4@F?EC:6D]k^Am kAmsFC:?8 2 ?6HD 4@?76C6?46 uC:52J >@C?:?8[ ):6 u6?8[ E96 r9:?6D6 2>32DD25@C E@ E96 &]$][ D2:5 E96 A2?52DV 2CC:G2= “>2C6[ 3C:?8:?8 EH:46 E96 ;@J 2?5 92AA:?6DD E@ 6G6CJ@?6 H9@ =@G6D E96>[” E96 2>32DD25@C D2:5]k^Am kAmv6@C8:2 %649 DEF56?E z6G:? (6:[ `g[ D2:5 96V5 366? 4@F?E:?8 5@H? F?E:= “A2?52 52J[” 2?5 76=E 6DA64:2==J 4@??64E65 E@ E96 2?:>2=D 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 7C@> 9:D 9@>6E@H? @7 r96?85F]k^Am kAm“xEVD <:?5 @7 =:<6 92G:?8 2 72>:=:2C 3@?5[” (6: D2:5] “p=E9@F89 xV> =:G:?8 :? E96 &]$][ x DE:== 42? 4@??64E H:E9 >JD6=7 2?5 E@ r9:?2]”k^Am kAmr9:?2 92D =@?8 FD65 A2?52D 2D A2CE @7 :ED 5:A=@>24J 8=@32==J[ 56A=@J:?8 E96 362CD :? =@2? AC@8C2>D 2D 6IAC6DD:@?D @7 8@@5H:== 2?5 =6EE:?8 =@2? 28C66>6?ED k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^49:?2\8:2?E\A2?52D\5:A=@>24J\4@?D6CG2E:@?\6c7hg_62e_`7d6ec4gf3`572dgcfa`2hQm=2AD6 H96? E6?D:@?D 2C:D6k^2m]k^Am kAm+@@ pE=2?E2 :D @?6 @7 E9C66 &]$] K@@D E92E ?@H 9@FD6 E96 A@AF=2C 362CD]k^Am kAm%96 }2E:@?2= +@@ :? (2D9:?8E@? C6EFC?65 E9C66 A2?52D E@ r9:?2 :? a_ab 367@C6 2446AE:?8 ?6H 2CC:G2=D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^A2?52D\?2E:@?2=\K@@\H2D9:?8E@?\b75f2a2643b4h6bhd527h2`d_fa2756`Qmq2@ {: 2?5 ":?8 q2@k^2m :? ~4E@36C a_ac] %96 $2? s:68@ +@@ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^9@H\>2?J\A2?52D\D2?\5:68@\K@@\49:?2\7a55f7hgeeb5e`577`7dhb7`d53gdegfQm563FE65 EH@ A2?52Dk^2m :? pF8FDE a_ac]k^Am kAmp 564256 28@[ E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= &?:@? 7@C r@?D6CG2E:@? @7 }2EFC6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^:5\d_5d366h3`d6c5e3ga3c63e_fbf5`b7fQmC64=2DD:7:65 8:2?E A2?52Dk^2m 7C@> 6?52?86C65 E@ GF=?6C23=6[ C67=64E:?8 A2?52DV 8C@H:?8 ?F>36CD :? E96 H:=5 :? r9:?2]k^Am kAm#6D:56?E z:> w6CC6D[ fe[ D2:5 D96 92D 366? G:D:E:?8 +@@ pE=2?E2 6G6C D:?46 E96 4:EJ 7:CDE C646:G65 A2?52D :? `hhh] $96 D2:5 D96 D66D A2?52D 2D 2 DJ>3@= @7 E96 H@C=5 “5@:?8 E96 C:89E E9:?8” E@ AC@E64E 2?:>2=D]k^Am kAm“xV> ;FDE 8=25 H6VG6 8@EE6? E96> 324<[” D96 D2:5] “w@A67F==J H6 H@?VE >2<6 E96 r9:?6D6 >25[ 2?5 E96J H@?VE 4@>6 86E E96>]”k^Am