Ask Axios: Are giant pandas ever coming to Philadelphia?

State of play: Pandas are not in Philly's future.

• The 42-acre zoo in West Philly just doesn't have the space to build a habitat suitable for giant pandas, spokesperson Maria Bryant tells Axios.

Plus: There are also funding limitations, like a fee for acquiring them from China, Bryant added.

• That means Philly will forever miss out on the panda-conomy, think bear-wear or panda-themed hotel packages.

What they're saying: "The zoo is continuously evaluating its animal collection and makes decisions based on multiple factors, including habitat suitability, conservation status, and animal well-being," Bryant said.

Zoom out: The Philly zoo is growing nonetheless.

• Zookeepers recently welcomed another batch of Western Santa Cruz Galapagos tortoise hatchlings, bringing the total to 16.
• Plus: A new tiger and leopard arrived earlier this year, and the zoo opened its new flamingo exhibit.

🤞 1 long shot: If Philly ever gains the capacity to house giant pandas, China isn't ruling us out.

• "Going forward, China stands ready to deepen exchanges and cooperation with partners worldwide, including the United States, to help protect endangered species," Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in D.C., tells Axios.

By the numbers: Only two U.S. zoos currently have giant pandas — D.C. and San Diego.

The bottom line: Your quickest ticket to see a giant panda IRL is to hop aboard an Amtrak's high-speed Acela train to D.C. and visit the Smithsonian National Zoo.