Giant pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao play in fresh snow as Washington’s National Zoo closes

Snow day footage spotlights National Zoo’s newest giant pandas

As a winter storm brought snowfall across Washington, D.C., video from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo showed its two giant pandas—Bao Li and Qing Bao—climbing, tumbling and rolling through fresh powder inside the renovated panda habitat. The zoo was closed to the public during the storm, but animal care operations continued, and the pandas remained visible through the zoo’s camera system.

The two pandas are part of a 10-year cooperative giant panda research and breeding agreement that runs through April 2034. Under the terms of modern panda loans, giant pandas in U.S. zoos remain under Chinese ownership, and conservation-related funding supports research and protection efforts tied to the species.

Who the pandas are and why they are in Washington

Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived in the Washington region in October 2024 and made their public debut at the National Zoo on Jan. 24, 2025, after a period of acclimation and quarantine procedures that are standard for newly transported animals. Their arrival restored a high-profile exhibit that had gone dark after the zoo’s previous pandas departed in November 2023 at the conclusion of an earlier agreement.

Bao Li also carries a lineage connection to the zoo: his mother, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo in 2013, tying the newest male panda to a multigenerational population that has been central to Washington’s long-running panda program.

What the snow footage shows—and what it indicates

The latest snow-day clip captures behaviors consistent with the species’ physical adaptation to cooler conditions: energetic locomotion, climbing, play and object interaction. In the footage, Bao Li is seen performing repeated somersaults near the barrier separating the pandas’ spaces, while Qing Bao moves through the snow and climbs within the enclosure.

The zoo’s closure limited in-person viewing, but the camera system continued to provide public access to animal activity during the storm.

Zoo operations during weather disruptions

Even when the zoo is closed for severe weather, animals remain under routine husbandry and veterinary oversight. Along with the pandas, other species at the zoo were observed moving through snow-covered areas during the same period, reflecting that many animals continue normal activity patterns when provided access to indoor spaces and weather-appropriate care.

How the zoo’s camera system fits into public access and conservation messaging

The Giant Panda Cam is built around a network of 40 cameras covering indoor and outdoor spaces. The system provides daily viewing windows and is operated from a central control room by trained volunteers. Beyond public interest, the camera coverage supports ongoing monitoring of behavior that can be relevant to animal care and research.

• Two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, were filmed playing in snow during a Washington-area winter storm.
• The National Zoo closed to visitors during the storm, while animal care continued.
• The pair debuted to the public on Jan. 24, 2025, after arriving in October 2024.
• The pandas are in Washington under a 10-year agreement running through April 2034.