Giant panda Ya Ya is at the the Memphis Zoo in the US on February 14. Photo: IC

 

China has made all necessary preparations for the return of giant panda Ya Ya to her motherland, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday in response to the public's concerns over the animal's health and its long-awaited return from the US.

The Memphis Zoo in the US held a farewell ceremony on Saturday (local time) for the giant panda Ya Ya, who saw her 20-year lease expire and will soon return to China. The health condition of the panda has long been a subject of concern among many Chinese netizens. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin gave updates on the progress of Ya Ya's return to China during a press briefing on Tuesday, saying that China has made full preparations for the welcome of Ya Ya to her homeland in terms of quarantine facilities, feeding facilities and plans, medical care and food supplies.

Once an export permit for the giant panda is issued, Ya Ya will be safely transported back to China as quickly as possible. The export permit will be issued in accordance with procedures when the US Fish & Wildlife Service completes publicizing the export permits for giant pandas Ya Ya and her deceased male partner Le Le on April 12, according to Wang. 

China has made all necessary preparations for the return of giant panda Ya Ya and will work with the US institutions in cooperation to strengthen coordination and complete her health assessments before transportation, Wang said.

Giant panda Ya Ya will be transported from the Memphis Zoo to Memphis International Airport in a temperature-controlled truck. After completing customs clearance and relevant inspection, Ya Ya will be escorted to a FedEx hub in the US, where she will be delivered directly by the carrier to Shanghai Pudong International Airport, according to media.

According to the cooperative research agreement on giant pandas between the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and the Memphis Zoo, the cooperation period expired on April 7 and the Memphis Zoo held a farewell ceremony on April 8, Wang noted.

Wang added that Ya Ya is currently in a relatively stable condition except for hair loss caused by a skin disease. 

Experts from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and two professional technical personnel from the Beijing Zoo are working with the Memphis Zoo to carry out the feeding and care of the giant panda, and have basically grasped the daily care procedures for Ya Ya, Wang noted.

A Ya Ya-related topic trended on Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo on Sunday with its hashtag celebrating the official handover of Ya Ya to the Chinese side. Many netizens flocked to Ya Ya's hashtag to voice support for the giant panda and expectations for her return. 

Global Times