Giant pandas return to nation's capital by end of year | The Excerpt

On a special episode (first released on July 31, 2024) of The Excerpt podcast: What does it take to be a successful international diplomat? For some, the secret is a distinctive coat of black and white fur and a love of bamboo. The China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Smithsonian National Zoo have reached a 10-year agreement that will bring two new giant pandas to the U.S. by the end of this year. The announcement came just six months following the departure of their last two pandas. What do we know so far about this latest installment of panda diplomacy? National Zoo Director Brandie Smith joins The Excerpt to talk about the distinct personalities of Qing Bao and Bao Li and what visitors and panda cam viewers can expect to see.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

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Dana Taylor:

Hello and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Dana Taylor. Today is Wednesday, July 31st, 2024, and this is a special episode of the Excerpt. What does it take to be a successful international diplomat? For some, the secret is a distinctive coat of black and white fur and a love of bamboo. The China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Smithsonian National Zoo have reached a ten-year agreement that will bring two new giant pandas to the US by the end of the year. The announcement came just six months following the departure of their last two pandas. What do we know so far about this latest installment of panda diplomacy? We're joined now by National Zoo Director, Brandi Smith. Thanks for joining us Brandi.

Brandi Smith:

Sure. Thank you so much for having me.

Dana Taylor:

First, can you introduce our audience to the two new pandas that will soon be headed to DC? Who are we getting?

Brandi Smith:

We have two young pandas that are coming here. Bao Li, who is a young male, and a lot of people are especially excited about him because he is the son of Bao Bao, who is one of the pandas who was born here at the National Zoo. Jing Bao is our young female giant panda.

Dana Taylor:

Pandas are known for having very distinct and often engaging personalities. What do we know about these two so far?

Brandi Smith:

They are very different. We know that Bao Li is very adventurous. He's very athletic. He's definitely going to be handful for us. A typical, I don't know, just kind of like a playful young boy and Jing Bao is a lot more thoughtful, I guess, so she is a little more calm, a little more thoughtful, a little more deliberate. One of my favorite things is we have keepers who have visited China, so veterinarian and the keeper who's visited China to start to get to know these giant pandas. We're finding out a lot about these animals, about their personalities, so we can make sure that we are ready to welcome them in the best way possible.

Dana Taylor:

As you know, back in the eighties, New York City mayor Ed Koch was successful in lobbying to bring pandas to the Bronx Zoo for a six-month stay. Who determined which zoo these new pandas would call home for the next 10 years? What can you share about that process?

Brandi Smith:

Well, we have a deep history with giant pandas. They first came here in the 1970s after a visit from President Nixon then. His wife, pat Nixon, very famously was the person who facilitated the discussions on giant pandas and welcomed them here, and they were a state gift at that time. Things are a little different now because now what we enter into is a conservation and research agreement. We essentially, based upon our history, based upon our long-term collegial relationship with our colleagues in China, we put together essentially a research, a breeding, a sustainability plan and work together to benefit the conservation of the species.

Dana Taylor:

I did want to ask about the history of panda diplomacy and what China aims to achieve through the practice, and then with it being a gift, as you said, or partnership, does it come at a cost?

Brandi Smith:

Bringing pandas here, yes, of course. We want everybody to love pandas. We want everyone to see pandas and to take the species and conservation in general into their heart. Ultimately, the reason why we bring pandas here is because it enhances the conservation of the species in the wild. The agreement includes a fee that money that goes back to China directly to benefit to focus on the conservation of the species.

Dana Taylor:

Pandas have now gone from being an endangered species to being a vulnerable species. Is there a chance that these two new pandas will reproduce while they're at the National Zoo? Is that part of the hope here?

Brandi Smith:

It is, and these pandas were specifically selected because they are the best kind of genetic match for each other. When they come here, ideally, there'll be a compatible behaviorally as well, and they will breed and they will produce more pandas because ultimately the problem with endangered species is there aren't enough of them, and so the goal is always to make more. There are probably only about 1,800 giant pandas left in the wild. By producing more pandas, our goal is to eventually increase the number, not just in zoos, but pandas in the wild in general.

Dana Taylor:

What are some of the considerations in the long-term care of these animals and their potential offsprings? I do understand that newborn pandas are quite fragile.

Brandi Smith:

Well, they are very fragile, but the great thing is giant panda moms, they're really good moms. Our experience has been that the pandas are born entirely dependent upon their mothers, but our job is just to take care of the mothers so that then she can take care of her offspring. You said it earlier, a lot of people look at pandas and they don't realize how unique and distinct they are, not just as a species, but as individual animals from each other. When you take care of pandas, a lot of it is really understanding the individual giant pandas and then making sure that you are working to take care of their needs. You take care of their health, their nutrition. You make sure they're physically, intellectually stimulated, but then also, understanding them as individuals and working with them that way.

Dana Taylor:

Way, unfortunately, we won't get to keep them. Does traveling from China to the US and back take a physical and emotional toll on pandas? How have you balanced the ethical considerations here?

Brandi Smith:

Pandas travel in ultimate luxury. Before the pandas will travel, they travel in crates. These big crates that the pandas go into, we start training them to go into these crates well before, well before the transport happens. We make it a happy place. Actually, when we were training our pandas to return to China, we had a problem because they would just want to spend all day sitting in their crate eating bamboo. We create their crates are this happy little nook, and think of pandas, right? They'll spend time in dens and caves, in tree hollows. A small space to a panda is a safe space, and we make this happy, small, safe space. When they travel, they get their own flight. FedEx donates all of their expertise to us, and these pandas travel exclusively on their own jet with a veterinarian, with their keepers, with their favorite foods, with their favorite toys.

With giant pandas, in terms of the transit, it's nothing but a positive experience for them. What we try to do though is they're going to a different place. Different sites, different sounds, different smells. We work very hard with the keepers in China and vice versa, if the pandas are going from here to China, to make sure that we're prepared to meet those needs. For example, when the pandas come here, our keepers will travel to China in advance to spend time with the pandas there, so they're familiar faces, voices, sounds. Then when the pandas come here, we will have keepers from China who are here then to do a handoff, so it's a soft transition from one place to the next.

Dana Taylor:

What can you share about the team that will be caring for the pandas here?

Brandi Smith:

These are trained experts who have dedicated their lives to caring for endangered species. I always think about this. A lot of people have pets, and there's no training. You get a pet, you figure it out, but you know you love that animal and they love you back. I think about this, the animals who are here have these incredibly trained staff, not just keepers, veterinarians, nutritionists. One of my favorite things is our scientists. Our chief veterinarian is actually trained in acupuncture and acupressure. Our animals will get these, it's not just western medicine, but it's eastern medicine. The staff here is passionate, dedicated, qualified, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. These animals are coming to some incredible care.

Dana Taylor:

The National Zoo is home to hundreds of wildlife, from the American bison to the Komodo dragon, to the titi monkey. Why do giant pandas seem to garner so much attention? Are there other animals you'd like to see them share the spotlight with?

Brandi Smith:

There are some species that are keystone species. They get the attention of people, and then people will come to the zoo to see a giant panda, and then they'll fall in love with a naked mole rat. I feel like pandas are kind of like the gateway animal for a lot of people to caring for and appreciating wildlife. I never begrudge the pandas their charisma, because I think that they bring more people into and appreciate of animals in the natural world. I get asked that question all the time, "Why do people love pandas so much?" I think it's a few reasons. I think it's because, well, first of all, they're adorable, most obviously, and the cuteness never wears off. I will still, I've been working with these animals for 16 years, and I still will just stop and marvel at the extreme cuteness of these animals.

They're cute, they're rare. They're not just rare in the wild, but they're rare in zoos. When you see one, that's a special opportunity, most people on the planet won't have an opportunity to see a giant panda, but they're also a success story. Things in the world, especially when you talk about conservation, when you talk about biodiversity, it can be a little intimidating and overwhelming. You feel like, what can I do? How can I help? Giant pandas is a success story. It's a success of conservation. It's a success of people working together to save a species. When our visitors come here, they are part of that success. When they come here, they see the animals, they care for them, they support the zoo. They are part of the success. I think it's a combination of those three things.

Dana Taylor:

Finally, is the giant panda cam coming back? How does the National Zoo plan to handle the surge in crowds and desire of so many to see them when they arrive?

Brandi Smith:

The giant panda cam will definitely, it's definitely coming back because we know it's not just the millions of people who come to the zoo, but millions more around the world who want to see our giant pandas. We will definitely bring that back. We don't want just as many people as possible to see the giant pandas. We want everybody who comes here to have a good experience, a memorable experience. It's memorable because that's our goal. Our goal is to educate people, to inspire people, and ultimately, for people to come here and have a good time with their friends, with their family. I don't have the answer yet, but we are planning on ways to make sure that we can accommodate everybody who wants to see the giant pandas.

Dana Taylor:

Well, it's exciting. Brandi, thank you so much for being on The Excerpt.

Brandi Smith:

Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Dana Taylor:

Thanks for senior producer Shana May Green for production assistance. Our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to Podcast@usatoday.com. Thanks for listening. I'm Dana Taylor. Taylor Wolf will be back tomorrow morning with another episode of The Excerpt.