‘Enjoying them for the last time!’ – Smithsonian’s National Zoo in DC hosts farewell event for pandas

« Over the weekend, visitors from all around gathered at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington DC to partake in a farewell celebration for the zoo’s three giant pandas, as featured footage shows.
This event marked a moment in a series of activities that included celebrating the birthdays of these pandas.
« My wife has been a big fan of the pandas for a very long time. She’s a sixth-grade teacher and she shows the pandas to her kids on a video in the classroom. We used to live up in this area for a long time and now that the pandas are leaving, she wanted to get back one last time and see them before they go. So we’re just enjoying them for the last time, » said Kirk one of the panda fans on site.
At the end of the year, the three pandas – Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and their cub Xiao Qi Ji – will reportedly be leaving the United States and returning to the China Wildlife Conservation Association. This marks the end of a collaborative effort that not only allowed the pandas to live in the US but also resulted in successful breeding.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have been residents of the nation’s capital since 2000, and they have brought joy through the birth of four cubs over the years. Xiao Qi Ji, born during the pandemic, remains the sole panda cub in the United States, as the others have already been returned to their native China, according to local sources. »



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