Long past the ten-year loan agreement from 2000, three giant pandas at the National Zoo in Washington, DC will be returned to China in December USA Today reports, leaving Atlanta the only US city to host the Asia species.
The three pandas–Mei Xiang (female) and Tian Tian (male), and their male cub Xiao Qi Ji– will be returned by December 7th. Mei Xiang has given birth to seven cubs at the National Zoo; three did not survive into adulthood. By agreement, all panda cubs had to be returned to China.
Mei Xiang and Tian Tian were the second pair of pandas sent to the National Zoo as part of a research and breeding program. Hsing-Hsing and Ling-Ling died at the Washington zoo in 1999 and 1992 respectively.