The National Zoo’s newest breeding pair of 3-year-old giant pandas — male Bao Li and female Qing Bao — landed Tuesday morning at Washington Dulles International Airport.

They are the first new pandas to arrive stateside since 2000, when Tian Tian and Mei Xiang, who returned to China in 2023, moved into the District. They had flown out of China on Monday evening on board a FedEx Boeing airplane dubbed the “Panda Express,” according to the airport.

The National Zoo was closed Tuesday, though visitors would not be able to see the pandas even if it were open. The standard procedure is to quarantine the new arrivals for at least 30 days so that they do not introduce diseases or parasites to other animals. However, Bao Li and Qing Bao will still have access to areas within the zoo’s panda house.

After the pandas undergo quarantine and have some weeks to settle in, they will be introduced to the public and the “panda cams” in their enclosure will turn back on, the National Zoo said on its website.

A pair of zookeepers and veterinarians from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will aid National Zoo staff in getting the pair acclimated.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.