WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — National Zoo’s giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, arrived from China on Oct. 15 with a huge amount of fanfare. The arrival brought an end to a void that lasted nearly a year after the departure of Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji.

Now that giant pandas have returned to D.C., people eagerly are awaiting the chance to see them in person.

Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute (SNZCBI) said that Bao Li and Qing Bao would be in quarantine for 30 days after their arrival and would make their public debut on Jan. 24, 2025. (National Zoo members will have a chance to see the pandas beginning on Jan. 10, 2025.)

Bao Li and Qing Bao (Roshan Patel, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute via AP)

There also is great anticipation about the return of the Giant Panda Cam. National Zoo said it would be “coming soon” on the camera’s webpage, explaining that Bao Li and Qing Bao were acclimating to their new habitat. Until then, the zoo invited people to enjoy its Prepping for Pandas series that highlights “moments and milestones of the new pandas’ journey to their public debut.”