Pandas Make Their Official Return to the National Zoo — and You Don't Have to Go to D.C. to See Them

The Giant Panda Cam is back with a pair of new fuzzy friends!

The Smithsonian's National Zoo relaunched its extremely popular Giant Panda Cam on Friday, Jan. 24, giving the public its first "live" glimpse of the zoo's newest pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao.

Before this, the public got a peek at the pandas — who arrived at the Washington D.C. zoo in October and remained off exhibit — in an adorable video of the pair rolling and sliding through snow drifts in their habitat earlier in the month.

Brandie Smith, the National Zoo's director, shared that the Giant Panda Cam educates and galvanizes others to help with panda conservation efforts, especially those who can't make the trip to Washington, D.C., to meet the pandas face- to-face.

"We have incredible scientists that do incredible work, but they can't do it on their own," Smith said in a video posted to X on Jan. 15. "People need to want to save these species and to help play an active part in their survival."

The panda stream has been the zoo's most popular online attraction since its inception in 2001, the Washington Post reports. Run by a group of trained volunteers, the Giant Panda Cam will run daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST, after which point the feed will transition to pre-recorded footage of the last 12 hours, the cam's site reads.

There are 40 cameras in total, which capture the pandas' every move around their enclosures — indoors and outdoors — in wide angles.

According to the Washington Post, the panda cam runs on a 15-minute delay. Zoo spokeswoman Annalisa Meyer told the outlet that the lag "allows for time to stop the broadcast if human intervention is needed," such as in a medical emergency. Meyer said that the zoo had yet to pause the broadcast.

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Bao Li and Qing Bao have been acclimating to their habitat for months and are now ready to meet their fans. The zoo is hosting the District of Panda Party, a series of events celebrating the pandas' arrival.

"For over 50 years, giant pandas have been an integral part of the fabric and culture of Washington, D.C., thanks in large part to the support of the communities that live and work in the District," Smith said in a zoo announcement about the pandas. "Bao Li and Qing Bao have won our hearts, and we're excited to welcome panda fans back to the Zoo — the only place in the nation where you can see giant pandas for free—and celebrate the newest chapter of our giant panda breeding and conservation program."