Zoo Atlanta welcomes arrival of pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang

The giant panda duo Ping Ping and Fu Shuang have arrived in Zoo Atlanta for a 10-year stay under an agreement sealed between the Chinese and US governments. They have begun a one-month routine quarantine period before making their debut to the public.

The animals are reported to be in excellent health after boarding a dedicated "FedEx Panda Express" Boeing 777 aircraft from southwestern Sichuan Province.

To create a more comfortable and safer living environment for the pair, the US side has renovated venues with technical assistance from their Chinese colleagues from the panda base.

Exciting locals wait outside the the zoo to catch the first glimpse of the pandas when they arrive by truck on Sunday morning.

President of Zoo Atlanta Raymond B. King says in a statement: "This is a thrilling day for Zoo Atlanta and a historic moment for the City of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and beyond."

He says the zoo is "elated" to welcome them and could not be more excited about sharing that joy with guests and their community in the coming weeks.