US panda fans can 'bearly' wait for pair's debut

The official debut of two giant pandas, Bao Li and Qing Bao, at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC, is fast approaching, and fans of the furry pair of Ailuropoda melanoleuca specimens can "bearly" wait.

The playful twosome, who arrived from China in mid-October, have spent the last three months settling into their newly renovated habitat. Now they're ready to steal hearts nationwide as they make their public debut on Jan 24.

"We were incredibly excited to welcome Bao Li and Qing Bao to the National Zoo three months ago," Michael Brown-Palsgrove, curator of giant pandas and the Asia Trail, told China Daily during a media preview event hosted by the zoo on Thursday. "They've adjusted beautifully to their new home and have been busy exploring every nook and cranny of their habitat."