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Pandas have been a symbol of U.S.-China friendship since Beijing sent a pair to the National Zoo in 1972.
Two new giant pandas are returning to the U.S. Half a year after the nation bid an emotional farewell to its giant pandas. The number of pandas in American zoos has diminished as loan agreements lapsed during diplomatic tensions between the U.S. and China that remain high.

The National Zoo is expecting a renewed surge in panda mania with the announcement that two more of the furry black-and-white icons will be coming to Washington. Chinese ambassador Xie Feng touted the journey of the “newest envoys of friendship” as a symbol of the deepening of “friendly ties” between the US and China. These will be the first pandas allowed back into the U.S. The zoo announced Wednesday that a fresh agreement had been struck with the Chinese government, and a pair of adult pandas would be arriving from China by the end of the year.

As the pandas return, so will the zoo’s Panda Cam, which allows people around the world to check in with the pandas in real time.

The San Diego Zoo said last month that staff members recently traveled to China to meet pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, which could arrive in California as soon as this summer. A separate agreement was also announced to send a breeding pair of pandas to San Francisco as well. The return of the bamboo-loving bears may mark a new chapter of decades of “panda diplomacy.”

Person of the Week

Alderperson Cindy Yeager at the Lake Geneva Farmers Market as an advocate for the Avian Committee and National Migratory Bird Day.