“Giant Panda Yaya Returns Home to China After 20 Years in U.S. with Remains of Partner”

The giant panda Yaya, who has lived in the United States for 20 years, finally returned home yesterday from Memphis, the United States, with the remains of her partner Lele, who passed away earlier, and arrived safely at Shanghai Pudong Airport. Yaya, who is visibly thin, is still energetic after the long journey. After quarantine, she will be sent to the Beijing Zoo to live up to her old age.

Yaya, who will be 23 years old in August this year (equivalent to about 80 years old in humans), boarded a plane on Wednesday morning local time in the United States. Before Yaya left, many local people rushed to the Memphis Zoo to see her off. Due to Lele’s death in February this year, the public paid attention to Yaya’s situation. Many netizens saw that Yaya was thin and thin, and suspected that the nursery had neglected to take care of her. Later, experts from China and the United States consulted and confirmed that Yaya was in good health except for her skin disease. However, since the Memphis Zoo’s 20-year lease on Lele and Yaya expired, it decided to return the giant pandas.

Settled in Beijing Zoo to enjoy his old age

Many netizens in the mainland paid close attention to Yaya’s journey back to China. From the time when she was preparing to take off to when she arrived in Shanghai, they have been broadcasting live on the Internet. After Yaya arrived in Shanghai, she was immediately transferred to the special isolation and quarantine office specially set up by the Shanghai Zoo. After one month of isolation, she was expected to be transported to the Beijing Zoo to settle down.

Originally published on AM730