8 months ago
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Zoo's agelong acheronian panda drought is coming to an end.
Eleven months aft the zoo sent its 3 wildly fashionable pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — backmost to China, a caller brace of bears arrived successful the United States connected Tuesday. They volition beryllium transported from Dulles International Airport successful suburban Virginia to the zoo.
A brace of three-year aged elephantine pandas, named Bao Li and Qing Bao, person near a probe installation successful the southwestern Chinese metropolis of Dujiangyan and volition soon beryllium flown to Washington, according to a connection by the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
“Food prepared for the travel includes maize bread, bamboo and carrots, arsenic good arsenic h2o and medicine,” the connection said, adding that the concern volition "make caller contributions successful protecting planetary biodiversity and heighten the relationship of the radical from the 2 countries.”
Once the bears get successful Washington, determination volition apt beryllium an extended quarantine and acclimation play earlier they are introduced to the public. On Monday evening, the zoo's website posted an alert that the full installation would beryllium closed Tuesday, without giving a reason. The pb nonfiction connected the tract inactive said the pandas would beryllium coming sometime earlier the extremity of the year.
Bao Li (precious vigor) and Qing Bao (green treasure) get successful Washington arsenic portion of a caller 10-year statement with Chinese authorities. The erstwhile woody expired past year, starring to immoderate interest among American panda-lovers that Beijing was gradually pulling its furry relationship ambassadors from American zoos amid rising diplomatic tensions.
Breeding pairs successful zoos successful Memphis and San Diego had already returned to China earlier and the 4 pandas successful the Atlanta zoo near for China past week.
That anxiousness turned to optimism past November erstwhile Chinese President Xi Jinping publically stated a tendency to proceed the panda speech programs. This year, a caller brace of bears has been delivered to the San Diego Zoo, portion different brace has been promised to San Francisco.
In Washington, National Zoo officials remained conspicuously soundless astir negotiations for a caller panda agreement, but they expressed optimism astir striking a caller woody and launched a multimillion-dollar renovation of its panda enclosure successful anticipation. Then successful precocious May, zoo manager Brandie Smith teamed up with archetypal woman Jill Biden to denote that Bao Li and Qing Bao would beryllium arriving by the extremity of this year.
The Chinese announcement said the National Zoo had sent “three experienced keepers and veterinary experts” to China to assistance the transport and travel the bears.
Zoo officials connected Monday declined to corroborate the Chinese announcement. Zoo spokesperson Jennifer Zoon said successful an email, “For the information of animals and staff, we are not capable to corroborate immoderate details astatine this time.” But signs astatine the zoo and connected its societal media tract person heralded the planned instrumentality of the pandas and panda-themed merchandise inactive dominates the acquisition shops.
“The elephantine pandas are an iconic portion of the Washington, D.C., story, some for locals and incoming travelers alike,” said Elliott L. Ferguson, II, president and CEO of Destination DC. “The involvement and excitement associated with their instrumentality straight benefits the full city, bringing further involvement and visitors to our hotels, restaurants and different attractions.”
The nonstop presumption of the woody are inactive unclear; nether erstwhile 10-year agreements the Chinese authorities receives $1 cardinal per year, per bear. Any cubs calved successful overseas zoos are typically returned to China earlier they scope property four.
Pandas person go 1 of the unofficial symbols of the nation's capital, dating backmost to 1972 erstwhile the archetypal brace — Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing — were sent arsenic a acquisition from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai pursuing President Richard Nixon's historical diplomatic sojourn to China. Later, a rolling bid of 10-year practice agreements was struck.
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy successful Washington, credited the decades of practice with advancing probe into panda preservation and breeding. During the lifespan of these agreements, elephantine pandas person been reclassified from an endangered taxon to simply vulnerable.
“The existent circular of practice volition absorption connected prevention and attraction of large diseases, and extortion of habitats and chaotic elephantine panda populations,” Liu said successful an email. “We anticipation the accomplishment of the pandas volition inject caller impetus into exchanges betwixt China and the U.S., and assistance to stabilize the broader bilateral narration arsenic well.”
