00:00No matter how much the relationship between the United States and China has changed over
00:07the years, panda diplomacy lives on.
00:12The Smithsonian National Zoo recently announced that two more giant pandas will be brought
00:18there from China by the end of the year.
00:22Their names are Boli and Chingbo, and like their predecessors going back half a century,
00:29they are sure to be loved by local residents and tourists to the nation's capital.
00:35Aside from delighting visitors who eagerly snap pictures of them, the giant pandas serve
00:41another very important purpose.
00:44The National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute maintains one of the world's most
00:50elaborate and acclaimed panda conservation programs.
00:54As a result, the panda has moved from the endangered to the vulnerable on the world's
01:01list of endangered species.
01:04For your information, Boli is Mandarin Chinese for energetic, and Chingbo is translated as
01:12treasure.
01:13Visitors to the zoo are sure to be energetic about the new visitors, and all will surely
01:20consider them to be a treasure.
01:23For EarthX, I'm John Gizzi.
Comments