Two giant pandas are on their way from China to Washington's National Zoo, kicking off a much-awaited return of the beloved bears to the American capital.
Qing Bao, a young female panda, at the Dujiangyan base in Sichuan province, China. Two giant pandas are on their way from China to Washington's National Zoo, kicking off a much-awaited return of the beloved bears to the American capital.
China's renewed panda diplomacy with the US is a rare bright spot in the fraught relations between the world's two superpower rivals – which have been marred by tensions over trade, technology, geopolitics and more. A sendoff ceremony was held earlier on Monday at a hotel near the base, joined by a delegation from the Washington zoo who came to the Chinese province of Sichuan to help with the transition.
While born in Sichuan, Bao Li has deep familial roots in Washington. His mother, Bao Bao, was born a celebrity at the National Zoo in 2013 and returned to China four years later. His grandparents, Meixiang and Tian Tian, lived at the zoo for 23 years until their lease ended last year. Bao Li and Qing Bao were taken off public display and placed in quarantine on September 13 – a day after Qing Bao turned three years old. They were kept in separate enclosures in a fenced-off quarantine zone lined with bamboo trees, tucked in a quiet staff-only area away from the crowds of tourists.
Bao Li and Qing Bao spent their last few days in Dujiangyan getting trained for their first long-haul flight. Every morning, the pair would walk into their shipping crates voluntarily as soon as the door opened – with a little help of food. Days later, when seated next to Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai at a banquet in Beijing, Pat Nixon noticed a box of cigarettes on the table decorated with pandas."Aren't they cute? I love them," she told his host."I'll give you some," he replied.
For many DC residents, their departure signalled the end of an era: for the first time in 23 years, the giant panda exhibit at the National Zoo had become empty. Smith, the National Zoo's director, called the upcoming arrival of Bao Li and Qing Bao a"historic moment" opening the next chapter of the zoo's giant panda conservation program.
When Bao Li and Qing Bao were taken into quarantine in September, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda issued a statement rebuffing rumour about the mistreatment of pandas at the Washington zoo. B.C. NDP leader David Eby took a break from campaigning Monday to address stunning new allegations from the RCMP that Indian diplomats and consular officials are linked to violent criminal activity on Canadian soil.Embattled B.C. Conservative candidate Brent Chapman is under fire once again, this time for past Facebook comments casting doubt on the official accounts of mass shooting events in Canada and the U.S.
Khloe Kardashian shares candid look at her healing progress after having tumour removed from her cheek The Ontario Provincial Police says the number of fatal collisions caused by distracted driving on the roads it patrols has increased by 40 per cent compared to this time last year.
B.C. NDP leader David Eby took a break from campaigning Monday to address stunning new allegations from the RCMP that Indian diplomats and consular officials are linked to violent criminal activity on Canadian soil.The B.C. Conservative Party has promised to build a new children's hospital for families south of the Fraser River, though details on the proposal are currently slim.Ontario taxpayers have forked over $4.
If you have leftover seeds from your squash soup or pumpkin carving, the Prairie Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is asking you to donate them instead of throwing them away.Saskatchewan residents have just a few more days to catch a rare glimpse of a comet visible to the naked eye, streaking across the western skies at dusk.With Saskatchewan's election set for Oct. 28, many voters may be wondering what candidates are running in their local ridings.
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