Have you ever been to the Smithsonian National Zoo? If you have, then you know about the adorable panda family, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji. They have been three of the many beloved animals at the zoo for the past 50 years, but that era has sadly come to an end.
On Nov. 8, the panda family left the zoo and arrived at the Dulles International Airport in North Virginia for their journey to Chengdu, China. According to the official Smithsonian Zoo website, Brandie Smith, the John and Adrienne Mars director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI), said that, “As Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji depart for their new home in China, they leave behind a tremendous legacy in Washington, D.C.…As this chapter of our giant panda program closes, we remain committed to the conservation of this species and look forward to continued collaboration with our Chinese colleagues.”
The reason for this departure is because China leases the giant pandas to U.S. zoos to be shown to the public. The lease was supposed to end Dec. 7, but China has decided to no longer sign or renew any leases to loan pandas to U.S. zoos due to the strained relationship between the two countries. Now, the only pandas left in the United States are in Zoo Atlanta, where they will stay until their lease ends next year.
On their journey home, the panda family will be in custom travel crates, which they have become accustomed to a few weeks before their trip, as they ride in a special Panda Express on a FedEx Boeing 777F for about 19 hours. According to the zoo’s website, “Assistant curator of giant pandas Laurie Thompson, animal keeper Mariel Lally and supervisory veterinary medical officer James Steeil will make the trip with them. The NZCBI team will continuously monitor Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji during the trip.”
The pandas also brought along some travel snacks made up of 220 pounds of bamboo, with a couple pounds of fruits and vegetables, and some leaf-eater and low starch biscuits. So, it is guaranteed that the pandas won’t go hungry during the trip.
When Tian Tian, Mei Xiang and Xiao Qi Ji arrive at Chengdu, they will meet their new keepers who will take them to ShenShuPing Campus in Wolong. This is where they will be in quarantine for the next 30 days as they become accustomed to their new surroundings. During this time period, NZCBI’s team will stay and monitor them.
While it is sad that pandas will no longer be in zoos in the U.S., the zoos hope that this will not be permanent. Only time will tell, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that in the future our adorable friends come visit again.
