"Panda Express" in action again
Last Thursday, 9 November 2023, three giant pandas, including 25-year-old Mei Xiang, 26-year-old Tian Tian and their three-year-old cub, Xiao Qi Ji, arrived in Chengdu, China on a charter flight from Washington, D.C., after a brief refuelling stop in Anchorage, AK.
In cooperation with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, the flight was carried out on a FedEx Express B777F, the "FedEx Panda Express".
On their long journey, the pandas were accompanied by their well-known animal care experts and travelled in custom-built transport enclosures. They were the only "cargo" on the trans-Pacific flight, aside from supplies such as bamboo, water, and their favourite treats, including sugar cane, apples, and pears. At the airport, the pandas were safely unloaded in their specialised travel crates. (ah)