Farewell to the Pandas: National Zoo's Beloved Giants Return to China

Washington's National Zoo bid farewell to its beloved trio of giant pandas as they began their journey back to China. Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji were loaded into a cargo plane with crates filled with bamboo, apples, and pears. The pandas, accompanied by zookeepers, will travel to a reserve in China's Sichuan province. This marks the end of over 50 years of giant pandas serving as animal ambassadors in the U.S., with only four remaining in the country. The zoo's future plans for obtaining more pandas are unclear.