The Smithsonian National Zoo reported that Bao Li, a four-year-old male, is currently in rut—the period when male giant pandas ready themselves for breeding, typically lasting from November to May. According to the zoo, a sure sign of spring is when the giant panda pair begin to show interest in one another. The zoo described their interactions as an adorable tutorial in how to flirt, panda-style. During this time, if Bao Li catches a glimpse of Qing Ba, he will vocalize and try to grab her attention. However, female giant pandas' interest in males is driven by hormones that only ramp up for a few consecutive weeks out of the entire year, the zoo noted. Pandas have not created offspring naturally in the US since August 2020, according to multiple reports.
Separately, China announced it will send two giant pandas to Zoo Atlanta in the US, according to the China Wildlife Conservation Association. Male panda Ping Ping and female panda Fu Shuang, from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, will kick off a decade-long conservation cooperation under an agreement signed with Zoo Atlanta last year. The announcement came weeks ahead of Trump's planned visit to China in mid-May, though the exact relationship between the timing and the visit is unclear. Raymond B. King, President of Zoo Atlanta, said in a statement that the zoo can't wait to meet Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and to welcome their members, guests, city, and community back to the wonder and joy of giant pandas.
During an earlier giant panda agreement between Zoo Atlanta and China that concluded in 2024, pandas Lun Lun and Yang Yang gave birth to seven bears, according to Zoo Atlanta. Lun Lun and Yang Yang and their two youngest offspring left Atlanta for China in October 2024. In 2024, the National Zoo in Washington and the San Diego Zoo also received pandas from China, according to multiple reports. The exact departure date for Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to Atlanta has not been announced, and it remains to be seen whether the 'flirting' pandas at the National Zoo will eventually mate and produce offspring.