Something exciting is unfolding at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. — and it involves two giant pandas who appear to be falling for each other.
Bao Li and Qing Bao, both 4 years old, have been showing unmistakable signs of a budding romance. While they’re not yet old enough to breed, their zookeepers say the flirtatious behavior is a promising development for the zoo’s giant panda conservation program.
“There’s a lot of flirting going on right now,” Mariel Lally, one of the giant pandas’ zookeepers, told TODAY.
How Do Giant Pandas Flirt?
Giant pandas are naturally solitary animals and prefer to live alone. Because of this, Bao Li and Qing Bao live in separate but neighboring habitats at the zoo.
They interact through “howdy” windows — mesh screens built into a shared fenceline that allow them to see, smell and vocalize with each other.
Bao Li is currently in “rut,” the male breeding period, which typically lasts November through May.
During this time, he power-walks, scent marks frequently, rolls around in front of the howdy window and vocalizes loudly to get Qing Bao’s attention.
And she has certainly noticed.
“Bao Li, he is amped up. His testosterone is very high and he is very active. He’s scent marking a lot. He’s looking for the ladies. Qing Bao has become very active. She started to look for Bao Li. She usually never wants anything to do with Bao Li, and she’s been vocalizing at him,” Lally said.
Qing Bao has become increasingly active in return — wandering her habitat, scent marking, climbing trees and vocalizing back at Bao Li.
Giant Pandas Have a Tiny Window for Breeding
Female giant pandas are only fertile for 48–72 hours per year, a period called estrus. That remarkably narrow window makes breeding one of the biggest challenges in panda conservation.
In 2025, Qing Bao experienced her first estrus cycle in March and April, followed by her first pseudopregnancy in August and September. In February 2026, zookeepers noticed physical changes in Qing Bao indicating breeding season was approaching.
As of the most recent update, she had not yet reached peak estrus.
Zookeepers are now on the lookout for “bleating” — a high-pitched sound similar to a sheep’s “baa” — as the key sign that Qing Bao has reached that critical moment.
Giant pandas reach adulthood and begin breeding between ages 5–7, with females maturing faster than males. At 4 years old, Bao Li and Qing Bao are the equivalent of early human teens.
A Natural Birth Would Be Historic for National Zoo’s Giant Pandas
All of the zoo’s previous panda cubs were born through artificial insemination. A natural birth from Bao Li and Qing Bao would be the first at the zoo in decades.
And there’s good reason to aim for it. A 2017 study in Biological Conservation found that natural mating has a 60.7% birth rate, compared to just 18.5% for artificial insemination alone.
“We would love to be able to have a natural birth from Bao Li and Qing Bao,” Lally added.
Despite the excitement, zookeepers are not rushing to put them together since neither panda has reached breeding age yet.
Bao Li and Qing Bao arrived at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in 2024 — one year after after Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing were sent back to China. The two flirting pandas are expected to live at the zoo for 10 years.
For now, the budding romance continues — and the zoo is watching closely.
If you’d like to watch closely, too, then tune into the Smithsonian’s National Zoo panda cam, which airs live from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET daily.
