Giant pandas on their way to DC

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Qing Bao (left) and Bao Li (right) will take over the panda house at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo before the end of the year.

WASHINGTON - Two pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, are on their way to Washington, D.C., according to the China Wildlife Conservation Society.

The panda pair are three-year-old giant pandas from Dujiangyan in southwest China. They left China on Monday night local time, boarding a FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet dubbed the "Panda Express" headed for D.C.

"We have prepared corn buns, bamboo shoots, carrots, water, and medicine to ensure the pandas’ needs are met during the flight," the China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement.

Bao Li and Qing Bao are arriving nearly a year after the National Zoo's last pandas left for China.

Bao Li is the son of Bao Bao, who was born at the zoo in 2013.

The National Zoo announced in May that the pair would arrive in DC by the end of 2024.

"We're thrilled to announce the next chapter of our breeding and conservation partnership begins by welcoming two new bears, including a descendent of our beloved panda family, to Washington, D.C.," said Brandie Smith, the institute's John and Adrienne Mars director, in May. "This historic moment is proof positive our collaboration with Chinese colleagues has made an irrefutable impact. Through this partnership, we have grown the panda population, advanced our shared understanding of how to care for this beloved bear and learned what's needed to protect wild pandas and preserve native habitat."