Giant panda Bei Bei, after living in the U.S. for four years, embarked his way back to China on Tuesday, and will settle at Bifengxia Panda Base in Sichuan Province.
Bei Bei, born in August 22, 2015 at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., took one-last-time morning exercise for an hour at the zoo before boarding its private cargo jet "Panda Express" at Washington Dulles International Airport.
Giant panda Bei Bei enjoys bamboo at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, D.C., the U.S., before heading to China, November 19, 2019. /VCG Photo
During the 16-hour nonstop flight heading directly to Sichuan, the 113 kg animal will enjoy his airline food including 30 kg of bamboo, 1 kg of apples and pears, 1 kg of cooked sweet potatoes, two bags of biscuits and water.
He will accompanied by a keeper, a chief veterinarian of Smithsonian's National Zoo and five crew members before landing in Sichuan's capital Chengdu at 4 p.m. Beijing time on Wednesday.
Giant panda Bei Bei at his travel crate boards the "Panda Express" at Washington Dulles International Airport, the U.S., November 19, 2019. /VCG Photo
According to the giant panda breeding agreement between the Smithsonian's National Zoo and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, pandas born in the U.S. will return to China at the age of four.
Bei Bei's brother Tai Shan and sister Bao Bao, born in the U.S. in 2005 and 2013 respectively, have returned to China before.
His father Tian Tian and mother Mei Xiang, lodged in the Washington D.C. since 2000, will still remain at the Smithsonian's National Zoo.