Staff Reports
The beloved giant pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo are packing their bags and heading back to China. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their adorable cub Xiao Qi Ji are leaving the zoo almost a month earlier than expected. They will be traveling aboard the FedEx Panda Express, which sounds like a pretty fancy way to fly if you ask me.
Smithsonian giant pandas leave US for China
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But before they take off, the pandas will be loaded into crates and transported across the zoo. Unfortunately, they won’t be visible to the public during their journey. Once they arrive at the airport, they will board a custom Boeing 777K aircraft and fly for 19 hours to Chengdu, China. They even get a brief refueling stop in Anchorage, Alaska. Talk about a panda adventure!
During the flight, each panda will have their own cozy carrier filled with lots of bamboo and their favorite snacks. I mean, who wouldn’t want a basket full of pears, butternut squash, biscuits, and sugar cane on a long flight? These pandas are living the high life.
It’s a bit sad to see the National Zoo without its famous pandas. They’ve been here for over two decades, and they’ve become quite the stars. But this move is part of an agreement with China, and the pandas have to go back when the cubs turn four. Even though Xiao Qi Ji is only three, officials say it’s best for him to go with his parents. Sometimes, family is more important than anything else.
The National Zoo has been studying pandas for 50 years, and this partnership with China has been invaluable. It’s been a great opportunity to learn more about these amazing animals and their biology, behavior, and diseases. So while we’ll miss the pandas, we can take comfort in the fact that their legacy will continue to live on. And who knows, maybe one day we’ll see another group of pandas making their way to the National Zoo. Let’s keep our fingers crossed!
