Prepare to add another adorable creature to your list of viral animals such as Moo Deng the pygmy hippopotamus and Pesto the king penguin chick. Are you ready to meet the two fluffy animals that have recently broken the internet?
Making their official debut at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute are Bao Li and Qing Bao, a duo of giant pandas who have made a home in Washington D.C.
Bao Li, the male of the pair, was born on August 4, 2021. In Mandarin Chinese, his name translates to “active and vital power,” according to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
Qing Bao, on the other hand, is the zoo’s star lady, born on September 12, 2021. As mentioned by the Smithsonian, her name “evokes the lush and mountainous habitat of pandas,” while also signifying “precious and treasure,” showing just “how cherished and adored she is.”
So how will you be able to tell the two apart?
Well, for starters, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo provided a friendly guide to distinguish the two giant pandas apart on Instagram. Bao Li “has wider eye patches, with pointy tips that flare out a bit more,” while Qing Bao has birthmarks, “two distinctive patches on her left hip.”
The duo also have their own personalities, which doesn’t come as much as a surprise! Bao Li is much more “outgoing, playful, and curious,” and the Smithsonian points out that Qing Bao is much “more reserved and likes doing her own thing.” You’ll probably catch her climbing trees in their habitat!
Admission to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is free, which means that you can see the adorable pandas at no cost!
But, if you can’t make it in to see the two, the Smithsonian also provides a way to stay connected to the pair of giant bears. Their “Prepping for Pandas” nine-part bi-weekly YouTube series that follows Bao Li and Qing Bao’s path until their debut. There’s even a Panda Cam that you can tune in to and watch the pair from online!
Zoo visitors and members can even help the future of giant pandas by supporting the program. “Seventy-four percent of the giant panda program’s annual budget — including all conservation research — comes from the support of Zoo visitors, members and donors,” the Smithsonian explains on their website.
Whether you can make it to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo or just hop on the Panda Cam, the giant pandas’ debut is widely circulating social media and is encouraged to be checked out.
So N Crowd, are you more of a Bao Li or a Qing Bao?
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