U.S.-born giant panda Bei Bei departs for new life in China

    Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-19 23:45:51|Editor: ZD
    Video PlayerClose
    U.S.-WASHINGTON D.C.-CHINA-GIANT PANDA BEI BEI-DEPARTURE?

    U.S.-born male giant panda Bei Bei is seen before his departure at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington D.C., the United States, on Nov. 19, 2019. The 4-year-old giant panda Bei Bei, who was born and raised at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, departed for China on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Giant panda Bei Bei, who was born and raised at the Smithsonian's National Zoo here for more than four years, departed for the next chapter of his life in China on Tuesday.

    The healthy male, which now weighs around 250 pounds (113 kg), spent roughly an hour eating bamboo, playing with toys, wandering and climbing in his yard early in the morning at the zoo's David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat, where his frequent rolling amused onlookers.

    Before a white, see-through steel and plexiglass travel crate carrying Bei Bei was loaded on a truck, the zoo's staff bid their final farewell to the black-and-while furry friend they called a "rock star."

    Bei Bei's departure from the National Zoo is in line with the terms of a cooperative breeding agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association which requires all cubs born there to return to China after their fourth birthday.

    Bei Bei turned four on Aug. 22. He will enter a breeding program when he reaches sexual maturity between five and seven years old, according to the National Zoo.

    "We feel bittersweet because we love Bei Bei, but I'm also very proud of him and the fact that we've been able to raise up a very healthy and happy cub who's going to go and become part of the breeding program," Steven Monfort, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, told reporters on Tuesday.

    The truck carrying Bei Bei headed for Dulles International Airport near the U.S. capital to send him on a non-stop flight to the western Chinese city of Chengdu in a dedicated B777 aircraft operated by FedEx.

    Food and supplies for Bei Bei include 66 pounds of bamboo, two pounds of apples and pears, two bags of leaf eater biscuits, two pounds of cooked sweet potatoes and water.

    His favorite keeper Laurie Thompson and Don Neiffer, the zoo's chief veterinarian, will accompany and continuously monitor him during the 16-hour flight.

    Upon his arrival in Chengdu, Bei Bei's new keepers will take him to the Bifengxia Panda Base, a base operated by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. Thompson told Xinhua in an earlier interview that she will stay with Bei Bei for a short period to help him settle in.

    Despite Bei Bei's departure, visitors of the National Zoo can continue to see giant pandas. His mother Mei Xiang and father Tian Tian have been living at the zoo since their arrival in 2000.

       1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next   >>|

    KEY WORDS:
    EXPLORE XINHUANET
    010020070750000000000000011100001385677141
    主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲综合五月天欧美| 国产成人综合久久精品尤物| 久久se精品一区二区国产| 欧美日韩亚洲一区二区三区在线观看 | 国产精品无码久久久久| 一级做a爰片性色毛片中国| 最新欧洲大片免费在线| 亚洲精品国产v片在线观看| 色噜噜狠狠狠狠色综合久一| 国产特级毛片aaaaaa毛片| 99精品国产在热久久无码| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区毛片| 亚洲av无码不卡一区二区三区| 波多野结衣系列cesd819| 可以看的毛片网站| 韩国毛片在线观看| 国产精品va无码二区| 99国内精品久久久久久久| 成人av在线一区二区三区| 久久国产精品麻豆映画| 欧美乱大交xxxxxbbb| 亚洲精品亚洲人成人网| 精品哟哟哟国产在线观看不卡| 国产免费人成在线视频| 亚洲自国产拍揄拍| 国内剧果冻传媒在线观看网站| а√最新版在线天堂| 无码人妻丰满熟妇区bbbbxxxx| 亚洲AV无码专区国产乱码电影| 欧美精品一区二区三区视频| 免费A级毛视频| 精品欧美一区二区在线观看| 国产伦理一区二区三区| 免费看的黄网站| 国产精品女在线观看| 99热国产精品| 好男人视频社区www在线观看| 中文字幕不卡免费视频| 日本欧美视频在线| 久久青青草原亚洲av无码麻豆| 欧美亚洲一区二区三区|