The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C., will soon be home to pandas once again.
Two 3-year-old panda bears, Qing Bao and Bao Li, have left the research base in Dujiangyan, China, and are ready for their journey to the United States. The pandas will fly aboard the specially chartered FedEx Boeing 777 cargo jet dubbed the “Panda Express.” Their departure is set for Monday.
“We have prepared corn buns, bamboo shoots, carrots, water, and medicine to ensure the pandas’ needs are met during the flight,” the China Wildlife Conservation Association said in a statement announcing the pair’s departure.
Since 1972, the U.S. and China have engaged in panda diplomacy. The first pandas were sent to the U.S. under former President Richard Nixon, and former first lady Pat Nixon donated them to the National Zoo.
In the late 2010s, with a straining diplomatic relationship, China started not renewing contracts on their end. In 2019, the pandas at the San Diego Zoo returned to China, and late last year, the pandas in D.C. also embarked on their return to China.
Qing Bao and Bao Li are the first pandas China has sent to D.C. in 24 years. Both pandas will be loaned to the National Zoo for 10 years. The annual fee is a million dollars, which is spent on conservation efforts in China.
While Bao Li was born in China, some of his family tree has D.C. roots, according to WTOP News. His mother, Bao Bao, was born at the National Zoo in 2013 and returned to China four years later. Both of his grandparents, Meixiang and Tian Tian, lived at the National Zoo for 23 years until their lease ended last year, and they were sent back to China.
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The National Zoo’s panda exhibit, which used to draw thousands of visitors per year, has been left empty for the past 11 months.
“These beloved black and white bears are icons in Washington DC, and adored around the world,” the Smithsonian zoo’s director, Brandie Smith, said. “Our team and legions of fans look forward to welcoming Bao Li and Qing Bao to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.”