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Washington welcomed two new VIPs—giant pandas Qing Bao and Bao Li— to the National Zoo Tuesday under the shadow of fresh allegations that China has been exploiting the panda-lending program for its own gain.
The bears arrived from China aboard special FedEx “Panda Express” plane, jetting 8,000 miles to become the newest stars in the zoo’s 52-year panda program.
“It’s been a long year without pandas,” Laurie Thompson, a veteran panda keeper at the zoo who was part of a team that traveled with the bears, told The Washington Post. “We’re excited to see the new guys, and we’ll fall in love with them just like before.”
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