"National Zoo in Washington D.C. Sends Pandas Back to China: The When and Why"

The Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington D.C. will be returning its three beloved giant pandas to China by December 7, 2023. The pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, have been at the zoo since 2000 as part of a research and breeding program. The agreement with China has been extended multiple times, but now the pandas will be returning to their homeland. With their departure, only four giant pandas will remain in the U.S., located at the Atlanta Zoo. The loan agreement between China and the Atlanta Zoo expires in 2024, and it is expected that the younger cubs and their parents will also be returned. The Memphis Zoo and San Diego Zoo, which previously housed pandas, have already returned their pandas to China. The giant panda population has been successfully boosted through breeding programs, and the species was upgraded from endangered to vulnerable in 2017.