What the Smithsonian (and the Public) Have Learned About Pandas in More Than 50 Years at the National Zoo

The giant panda is arguably the (adorable) face of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), so people were understandably dismayed when Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji returned to their native China last year, as was always the plan outlined in our conservation program. I was asked so many times—out in public, on the National Mall, in the halls of Congress—“Is the Smithsonian getting the pandas back?” There was never a doubt in my mind this treasured species would return. Pandas are simply too important to our education outreach and conservation science. 

For the past five decades, the National Zoo, in collaboration with partners, has played a significant role in bringing pandas back from the precipice of extinction. Zoo scientists and animal care experts built one of the world’s foremost giant panda conservation programs, helping move the panda from “endangered” to “vulnerable” on the global list of at-risk species. The knowledge gained has broad applications to conservation, as Smithsonian researchers have partnered with Chinese colleagues to train wildlife professionals, mitigate human-animal conflict, and track threatened and elusive animal species with high-tech camera networks in China. In Washington, our researchers have advanced the science of giant panda reproduction, biology, nutrition and behavior.  

Ultimately, pandas are furry black-and-white teachers. We have learned about their habits and habitat, their diet and demeanor, and how to use cryopreservation and artificial insemination to increase their population. In turn, Smithsonian ecologists have trained more than 1,500 wildlife professionals, students and staff in pandas’ protected areas. We’ve also designed Head Start educational programming centered on pandas that engages children’s natural curiosity and sparks learning in young minds. 

When people learn and care about a species, they take conservation action, and when the habitat of giant pandas flourishes, there’s a ripple effect that helps create a healthy, balanced and sustainable planet. 

Wildlife conservation is not for the impatient. As with NZCBI’s other successes to reintroduce species like black-footed ferrets, golden lion tamarins and scimitar-horned oryx to their original habitats, we have learned that it takes decades of research, funding, strong partnerships, a bit of luck, and, most of all, passion and commitment. 

When Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived in October, it signaled to the nation that the Smithsonian is tackling the world’s challenges—and that a brighter future for the giant panda is on the horizon. In January, the pandas will make their public debut, a moment eagerly anticipated by so many around the world. I cannot wait for all of you to meet our newest residents.