Panda Cam Returns At DC Zoo, Watch Pandas Venture Out (Video)

WASHINGTON, DC -- The government shutdown is finally over, and that means the much-loved panda cam at the National Zoo in D.C. is back in action. Also, the pandas made their first appearance in front of the public since the shutdown.

The partial government shutdown lasted for 35 days, and resulted in the closure of not just government offices but also museums and national parks, including National Zoo.

"The Zoo's live animal cams require federal resources, primarily staff, to run and broadcast. They are deemed non-essential and will not stream live until the federal government reopens. All the animals continue to be fed and cared for. A shutdown does not affect the Zoo's commitment to our standard of excellence in animal care," the institution said in a statement.

The zoo's beloved Giant Panda Cam lets fans check up on Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and Bei Bei in real time.

"It's one thing to potentially mess with my tax return, but it's something a whole lot worse to mess with my panda cam," Devan Kreitzer, a self-described "avid panda cam watcher," told NPR.

Now, however, the panda cam is back up, and the pandas also made their first appearance to the public, video of which is embedded below.

A couple panda fans braved the cold this morning to visit the @NationalZoo for its reopening after the government shutdown. No one’s visited these pandas except the zookeepers in a month! pic.twitter.com/2lqAWbaqGO
— Mikaela Lefrak (@mikafrak) January 29, 2019

PICTURE: Screen grab from the Smithsonian National Zoo's "Bei Bei in the Snow" YouTube video