A chartered FedEx cargo plane carrying a pair of Chinese giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, landed in Atlanta in the southeastern United States on the morning of September 27.

The pair then arrived at Zoo Atlanta and will be housed in a biosecure area of Zoo Atlanta's new giant panda complex for a routine quarantine period of around a month, according to a release by Zoo Atlanta.

"This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond," said Raymond B. King, president and CEO of Zoo Atlanta.

"We are elated to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with our members, guests, city, and community in the coming weeks. Zoo Atlanta is honored to partner with the China Wildlife Conservation Association to see important work continue toward the conservation of giant pandas, which is the most important benefit of guarding this species," King added.

Zoo Atlanta is now one of three zoos in the United States to house giant pandas and is the only zoological organization in the Southeast the species will call home, said the release.

The two giant pandas are expected to stay at Zoo Atlanta for 10 years, according to an agreement between Zoo Atlanta and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Chinese veterinarians and caretakers have arrived in Atlanta in advance to prepare for the pandas' arrival and support their life in quarantine, training and adjustment to the new environment, Xinhua learnt.

Gina Ferrie, vice president of collections and conservation, Zoo Atlanta, said on September 24 that they were "very excited" to be able to have giant pandas return to Zoo Atlanta "after a long two years."

"We've been preparing for Ping Ping and Fu Shuang's arrival. We have added many enhancements to their habitat, including new day rooms that have much more room and very top-of-the-line zoological lighting and floors and other conditions to give them the best welfare," Ferrie told Xinhua.

Ping Ping, the male panda born on March 17, 2020, and Fu Shuang, the female one born on Oct. 18, 2020, departed for Zoo Atlanta from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in southwest China's Sichuan Province.