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☆ Britain bids farewell to its only giant pandas after 12 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Zookeepers have spent the last few weeks making sure the two pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, are used to crates in preparation for their long journey, expected at some point in early December. [1/4]Yang Guang, one of the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, eats bamboo stalks in its enclosure, in Edinburgh, Britain, November 29, 2023. REUTERS/Lesley Martin Acquire Licensing Rights"Yang Guang and Tian Tian have had an incredible impact by inspiring millions of people to care about nature," he said in a statement. The return of the Edinburgh bears to China comes as a number of giant pandas have also headed home from the U.S., part of a fading legacy in which giant pandas served as animal ambassadors. That began in 1972, when the government of China presented two giant pandas as gifts to the U.S. after President Richard Nixon's historic Cold War visit to the communist country.

Persons: Zookeepers, Yang Guang, Tian Tian, David Field, Lesley Martin, Richard Nixon's, Washington's, Sarah Young, Jan Harvey Organizations: Edinburgh Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association, REUTERS, Edinburgh, Thomson Locations: China, Edinburgh, Britain, U.S, Memphis, San Diego

☆ Britain Says Bye-Bye to Its Only Pandas as They’ll Soon Depart for China
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On Wednesday, crowds gathered to say goodbye and catch one final look at Yang Guang and Tian Tian, who for 12 years have enraptured millions of visitors and residents of Edinburgh. “We’ve flown up for the day; we must be mad,” Lauren Darling, who recently visited the zoo, told The Telegraph. But American zoo officials and scientists said that it came down to biology, or “panda time,” since the three pandas should be going back to China because they are at an advanced age. A similar reason was cited by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. The pandas, the zoo said, arrived in Edinburgh in December 2011 as part of a 10-year arrangement between the organization’s charity and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which allowed them to keep the pandas an extra two years because of the pandemic.

Persons: Yang Guang, Tian Tian, “ We’ve, ” Lauren Darling, It’s, Rebecca Plant Organizations: Telegraph, National Zoo, Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: Edinburgh, Britain, Washington, China

☆ Panda Diplomacy Might Not Be Dead Just Yet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Edward Wong | More About Edward Wong | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The fur balls might be coming back to Washington and San Diego. Xi Jinping, China’s leader, said in a speech on Wednesday night that his nation’s best diplomats, giant pandas, might soon return to zoos in the United States that have recently sent bears back to their homeland. “We are ready to continue our cooperation with the United States on panda conservation, and do our best to meet the wishes of the Californians so as to deepen the friendly ties between our two peoples,” he told a gathering of mostly business executives at a dinner in San Francisco. Mr. Xi pointed out that the pandas are “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.”Panda-monium gripped the United States last week when the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington sent its two aging adult pandas, Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, or “Little Miracle,” back to China on a 19-hour FedEx flight, the Panda Express.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Mr, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji Organizations: FedEx, Panda Express Locations: Washington, San Diego, United States, San Francisco, China

☆ US would welcome back any pandas from China, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The United States would welcome back any giant pandas China decides to send, the White House said on Thursday after Chinese President Xi Jinping hinted he might return some of the cuddly-looking black-and-white bears as a friendship gesture. And we respect the sovereign decision that China made to remove some of the pandas," White House spokesman John Kirby said at a briefing. "And certainly should a decision be made by the PRC (People's Republic of China) to restore some of the pandas to the United States, we would absolutely welcome them back." He said he also learned that the San Diego Zoo and people in California look forward to welcoming pandas back. "Pandas have long been envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples," Xi said.

Persons: Xi Jinping, John Kirby, Xi, Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Doina Chiacu, Michael Martina, Chris Reese Organizations: PRC, People's, San, Economic Cooperation, San Diego Zoo, Pandas, World Wildlife Fund, Zoo, Thomson Locations: United, China, People's Republic of China, United States, San Francisco, Asia, California, Washington, Sichuan

Later, Beijing loaned the pandas to other U.S. zoos, with proceeds going back to panda conservation programs. The National Zoo’s three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, eight days ago began their long trip to China. After their departure, only four pandas are left in the United States, in the Atlanta Zoo. Unproven allegations that U.S. zoos mistreated the pandas, known as China’s “national treasure,” flooded China’s social media. The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, Xi, Joe Biden, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Biden, Ashraf Khalil Organizations: FRANCISCO, U.S ., National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, San Diego Zoo, Garden, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Associated Press Locations: China, United States, California, San Diego, U.S, Beijing, Washington, San Francisco, Memphis , Tennessee

☆ China pandas: Xi Jinping hints he could send new pandas to US as ‘envoys of friendship’
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Yong Xiong | Nectar Gan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Their departure leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China. “Recently, the three pandas at Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington D.C. have returned to China. The Chinese leader did not offer additional details on where any future Chinese pandas might be sent, but suggested California would be the most likely destination. The San Diego Zoo returned its last two pandas to China in 2019, after the loan agreement concluded. It’s also the Chinese leader’s first trip to the US in more than six years.

Persons: Xi Jinping, ” Xi, “, Xi, Joe Biden, Richard Nixon’s, Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji –, It’s, Biden Organizations: CNN, San Diego Zoo, Beijing –, Smithsonian National Zoo, Smithsonian National, Zoo, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Locations: China, United States, San Francisco, Beijing, Europe, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Qatar, Washington ,, Zoo Atlanta, Washington, California, Bali , Indonesia

The San Diego Zoo sent its pandas home in 2019 and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. Whatever the reason, San Diego Zoo officials were hopeful. "It is a moment with some heartbreak in it,” National Zoo Director Brandie Smith said at the time. The San Diego Zoo has been panda-less for four years and may need to upgrade or refurbish its facilities. The National Zoo had announced plans to renovate its panda house and outdoor enclosure, but the timing on those plans is unclear.

Persons: —, Xi Jinping, Xi, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji —, ”, Daniel Ashe, ” Dennis Wilder, ” Wilder, Wilder, Gavin Newsom's, Xi’s, Paul A, Baribault, Ling, Hsing, Brandie Smith, Le Le, Didi Tang, Amy Taxin Organizations: WASHINGTON, San Diego Zoo, National Zoo, Atlanta Zoo, Veteran, Economic Cooperation, Association of Zoos, Aquariums, Georgetown University’s Initiative, U.S, California Gov, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, “, Zoo, Associated Press Locations: America, California, San Diego, U.S, Memphis , Tennessee, China, Veteran China, People's Republic, Asia, San Francisco, United States, Washington, Memphis, Santa Ana , California

Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived in 2000, about one year after Hsing-Hsing was euthanized due to kidney disease and eight years after Ling Ling’s passing from heart failure. The two new pandas stayed for a decade under the first formal pact, then remained under two consecutive five-year agreements. Mei Xiang gave birth in August 2020, at an age when scientists had thought she would no longer be able to have a baby. Zoos that host pandas outside of China usually agree to send cubs back before they turn 4, and to send adults back when they are elderly — Mei Xiang is 25 and Tian Tian 26. “I don’t want to have a panda pass away outside of China.”

Persons: Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Hsing, Ling Ling’s, Xiao Qi Ji, ”, Melissa Songer, “ Locations: China, Washington

The pandas, accompanied by three zookeepers, will travel to a reserve in China’s mountainous Sichuan province, where an estimated 1,800 pandas are still found in the wild, according to the National Zoo. "It's a moment of joy because this is one more step in 50 years of a successful giant panda conservation program and hopefully the beginning of 50 more years of successful giant panda conservation," she said. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, arrived at the National Zoo in 2000. The trio, made famous by the zoo's "Giant Panda Cam" with more than 100 million views, were part of a fading legacy in which giant pandas served as animal ambassadors. Kimberly Blalock, a young visitor at the National Zoo on Tuesday, was among the last to see the pandas on display in Washington.

Persons: Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, munch, Brandie Smith, It's, Mei Xiang, Richard Nixon's, Kimberly Blalock, Kevin Fogarty, Kia Johnson, Rich McKay, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Boeing, FedEx Panda Express, Dulles International, National Zoo ., National Zoo, U.S . Pandas, China Wildlife Conservation, U.S, Georgia's Zoo, Thomson Locations: China, Sichuan, U.S, Memphis, San Diego, Georgia's, Georgia's Zoo Atlanta, Washington, Atlanta

The pandas’ departure from the National Zoo leaves Zoo Atlanta as the only other US zoo to feature pandas from China, and not for much longer. First lady Pat Nixon welcomes China's giant pandas on April 20, 1972, at Washington's National Zoo. They have since become the parents of seven giant panda cubs born at Zoo Atlanta, according to the zoo. Staff at the National Zoo say they’re hopeful China might one day send over more giant pandas. Plans for the exhibit, with a welcome sign announcing the “Giant Pandas of Chengdu” and a panda-themed gift shop, aren’t clear.

Persons: Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji, Nixon, Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon, ”, Mao Ning, Richard Nixon’s, Mao Zedong’s, Pat Nixon, “, Hsing, YaYa, Xin Xin, David Culver, Fernando Gual Sill, CNN Xin Xin –, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Yang Yang, Lun Lun, Steve Schaefer, –, Bob Lee, Jane Mahalik, “ Pat Nixon, ” Mahalik, Jill Biden, Yong Xiong, Melissa Gray Organizations: CNN, Smithsonian National Zoo, ” Zoo, National Zoo, Zoo, AP China, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Washington, of Public Service, Memphis Zoo, Atlanta, Chapultepec Zoo, Pandas, Zoo Atlanta, Getty, Scotland, Edinburgh Zoo, Adelaide Zoo, Chengdu Research Base, Staff, National Locations: Washington ,, China, what’s, Zoo Atlanta, Beijing, United States, City of Peking, Washington, Atlanta, Russia, Mexico City, Chapultepec, Mexico, “, China’s, Moscow, Qatar, AFP, America, Zoo, Chengdu, New York, Los Angeles

☆ How might one get pandas to mate? Try leg workouts.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Pandas Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, will leave their enclosure in DC next year. During their time at the National Zoo, staff tried to get Mei Xiang and Tian Tian to mate. One of the exercises was to get Tian Tian to stand as tall as he could to work out his legs, according to the newspaper. For Mei Xiang, curators had her lie on a log to help her prepare for when Tian Tian approached her. AdvertisementAdvertisementSince her time in America, Mei Xiang has given birth to four surviving cubs with Tian Tian.

Persons: Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Mei Xiang, Tian, —, We're, we're, Brandi Smith, Stefani Reynolds, Pierre Comizzoli Organizations: National Zoo, Service, Washington Post, Post, Zoo, Panda Cooperative Research, National, Getty, FedEx Locations: China, Washington, America

WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo's three celebrity giant pandas will be heading home a little earlier than expected. Zoo officials told The Associated Press on Thursday that adult bears Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will be returning to China sometime in mid-November. The zoo’s exchange agreement with the Chinese government, originally brokered by President Richard Nixon 50 years ago, expires Dec. 7. The San Diego zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last bear at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. The pandas return to China when they reach old age, and any cubs born in the United States are sent to China around age 3 or 4.

Persons: Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Richard Nixon, Annalisa Meyer Organizations: WASHINGTON, Associated Press, U.S, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Zoo, Atlanta Zoo Locations: China, Beijing, San Diego, Memphis , Tennessee, America, United States

☆ US National Zoo Bids Farewell to Pandas as Government Shutdown Looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

(Reuters) - Washington's National Zoo is honoring its three giant pandas with nine days of events ahead of their return to China but stormy weather and a looming U.S. government shutdown have put something of a damper on the festivities. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are scheduled to be returned in early December. The zoo, operated by the Smithsonian Institute, receives federal funding, and would be forced to close to the public during a government shutdown, according to its website. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, came to the zoo in 2000 under a cooperative research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The zoo did not say whether it has any immediate plans to acquire more giant pandas, but said on its website that it "hopes to continue this work in the future."

Persons: Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Xiang, Zhou Enlai, Richard Nixon's, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Reuters, Embassy, Smithsonian Institute, China Wildlife Conservation Association Locations: China, U.S, Washington, United States

☆ US National Zoo bids farewell to pandas as government shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Visitors take photos of giant panda Mei Xiang eating bamboo during the reopening morning of Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, U.S., May 21, 2021. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji are scheduled to be returned in early December. The shutdown would not disrupt animal care, but the zoo's popular live "Panda Cam" would go dark. Mei Xiang, 25, and Tian Tian, 26, came to the zoo in 2000 under a cooperative research and breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. The zoo did not say whether it has any immediate plans to acquire more giant pandas, but said on its website that it "hopes to continue this work in the future."

Persons: Kevin Lamarque, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, Xiao Qi Ji, Xiang, Zhou Enlai, Richard Nixon's, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Embassy, Smithsonian Institute, China Wildlife Conservation Association, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, U.S, Washington, United States

☆ Tian Tian: Giant panda celebrates last birthday in DC zoo
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Piper Hudspeth Blackburn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The 26-year-old bear, Tian Tian, along with two other pandas in the zoo, are slated to leave by December 7. On Sunday, Tian Tian received a special “fruitsicle” cake made with fruits and vegetables with a “frosting” of sweet potatoes, mashed carrots and honey for his birthday, the museum said. The National Zoo’s Giant Panda Program celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian first arrived at the zoo in the early 2000s and were originally supposed to stay for 10 years. According to the National Zoo, giant pandas have an estimated lifespan of about 15-20 years in the wild and about 30 years in human care.

Persons: Tian Tian, Mei Xiang, Xiao Qi Ji, Mei Organizations: Washington CNN, Conservation Biology Institute, China Wildlife and Conservation Association, Panda Program, National Zoo Locations: United States, China

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