(FeaturedNews.com) – Brandie Smith, the director of the Smithsonian National Zoo has been dreading needing to send back the giant pandas from the institution, however, the time has now come for them to be returned to China. Smith has argued that billions of people have loved the Zoo’s giant pandas. However, on Wednesday, the three pandas were prepared and placed into crates where they will spend the 19-hour trip back to China.
However, the three pandas are not going to be making the trip alone. As he pointed out they have three zoo staff members, a veterinarian, and two of their favorite keepers who are going to join them on their trip. He added that those three are essentially going to perform for the pandas the same activities that they would normally perform each day.
The National Zoo has had pandas for over five decades, and Chinese Embassy Minister Xu Xueyuan has argued that giant pandas do not only belong to China but also to the entire world. The pandas are being returned to China during a time when the diplomatic relationship between China and the United States has been worsening.
As Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State commented, the two countries had a responsibility to “manage their relationship.”
Next week, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden are set to meet up. However, it is not yet clear whether the pandas will be one of the topics discussed.
As of right now, it is expected that all of the pandas in the U.S. will be sent back to China before the end of 2023.
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