The Smithsonian National Zoo’s three pandas, which also include a male cub, are set to be returned to China in December, leaving the United States with only four remaining pandas in the country.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian arrived at the Smithsonian National Zoo on Dec. 6, 2000, as part of a research and breeding agreement between the zoo and China Wildlife and Conservation Association and were only supposed to stay for a decade until the program was extended multiple times over the years.
Pandas in the U.S.: The U.S. has several zoos featuring pandas as part of an agreement with China, including those in the Memphis Zoo, San Diego Zoo and Atlanta and Washington. The Memphis Zoo sent their panda, Ya Ya, back to China after the 20-year agreement expired in April, while the San Diego Zoo sent their two pandas in 2019.
The spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said in a statement that the two countries are “communicating on future collaboration on giant panda conservation and research” as many good results have reportedly been achieved through the program, such as…
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