Pandas at the National Zoo Caught on Camera Flirting: See the Video!

Bao Li and Qing Bao, both 3.5 years old, arrived at the National Zoo in October 2024

Qing Bao and Bao Li, the respective female and male pandas at the National Zoo, are flirting
Based on their noises and clingy behavior — plus a urine sample from Qing Bao — scientists determined the female panda is experiencing her first estrus cycle, or “heat”
The two pandas are still a few years away from being ready to breed, the Zoo stated, but their newfound affinity for each other is “a great sign for the future”

Sparks are flying between two flirty pandas!

Bao Li and Qing Bao, the respective male and female giant pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., have been caught flirting on camera — according to their “bleats,” “chirps” and repeated attempts to get near one another, the zoo said in a statement on Friday, May 16. At just 3.5 years old, they’re not ready to breed yet, the zoo confirmed, but their recent interactions indicate a strong interest in each other.

After their arrival in October 2024, in late April, the two pandas began spending more time near their “howdy windows” — a mesh-divided window between the two pandas’ enclosures, so they can interact “on their own terms,” the zoo wrote.

Their first interaction at the howdy window saw Qing Bao chirp and bleat at Bao Li — the latter of which meant she had a strong interest in him. In turn, Bao Li — the social one, the zoo noted — happily bleated back. Since then, they’ve been spending extended time near their windows vocalizing, smelling and trying to get close to each other.

“We placed bamboo and shoots next to the windows so they could watch each other while they ate,” the zoo added. “If one of them walked away, the other ran over and called for them. It was adorable — and a sure sign that our bears’ hormones were changing!”

Giant panda Bao Li at the Wolong Giant Panda Reserve — Bao Li.Roshan Patel, Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

Scientists at the zoo collected a sample of Qing Bao’s urine and sent it to a nearby lab, and the findings confirmed the female panda was experiencing her first estrus cycle, commonly known as heat. Despite the hormonal findings, the zoo stated Qing Bao isn’t ready to mate just yet (and male pandas don’t start mating until at least 5 years old).

Qing Bao at Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute — Qing Bao.Roshan Patel, Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute

On May 6, the pandas’ patterns shifted again — still interested in each other, but less attached, meaning Qing Bao “was past her hormone peak,” the zoo said.

“Although we are a couple years away from breeding, the fact they showed such positive interest in each other is a great sign for the future!” the zoo’s statement concluded.