Crowds clamor to see giant pandas make their debut at Zoo Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Crowds gathered at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday for their first look at giant pandas Ping Ping and Fu Shuang as the newly renovated “Panda Grove” opened to visitors.The debut marks the return of pandas to the zoo after a two-year gap, when an agreement with China expired. Zoo Atlanta is now one of only three places in the U.S. that giant pandas call home. RELATED: Zoo Atlanta bidding farewell to giant pandas after 25 yearsFamilies lined up during opening weekend to welcome the new arrivals.Jenny and her young son, Henry, were among the first visitors through the gates Saturday morning. Henry, dressed in his panda onesie, had visited the zoo’s previous pandas when he was born, Jenny said.“I’m so excited. I’ve been waiting for weeks and weeks, like tracking when they were going to get here,” Jenny said. “We’re really excited to have them back so he can grow up with them.”Dr. Sam Rivera, the zoo’s vice president of animal health, said the pandas have distinc