STORY: Three giant pandas in U.S. head to China, National Zoo says goodbye
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 8, 2023 and Oct. 25, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 8, 2023
LENGTH: 0:01:29
LOCATION: Washington D.C.
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of giant pandas being transported and them in the U.S. earlier
2. SOUNDBITE (English): BOB LEE, Director of animal care sciences, National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
3. SOUNDBITE (English): FedEX staff
4. SOUNDBITE (English): LAURIE THOMPSON, Assistant curator of giant pandas, National Zoo

STORYLINE:

Three giant pandas, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and Xiao Qi Ji, left the Smithsonian's National Zoo in the U.S. on Wednesday for a flight returning to China.

The panda couple's departure came after 23 years of stay at the zoo, while their baby Xiao Qi Ji was born at the zoo in 2020.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): BOB LEE, Director of animal care sciences, National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
"The training they do every day is to come in and go into the training area that's where the crates are set up. So the animals are very comfortable in the crates, very comfortable with the staff. And we're going to have a veterinarian and two of the keepers that know them the best actually travel with them all the way to China. So we're expecting a safe and very calm trip for the animals. They're like family to us and the entire community, so while it's sad, we're happy that they're able to go to China."

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): FedEX staff
"It is a 19-hour flight. That's a trans-Pacific route and it will be going from Washington D.C. to Chengdu, China. I think the biggest thing is just doing what we do on a normal basis and moving one panda but also doing it three times. So we would not take any different stance on moving one versus three, we're going to take care of the same safety and comfort precautions in order to get them the best journey for Chengdu."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English): LAURIE THOMPSON, Assistant curator of giant pandas, National Zoo
"We work very closely with our Chinese colleagues and we have a really good relationship with them. So they have sent breeders over to help us with breeding season. They've sent nursery caretakers so that when she (Mei Xiang) gives birth, we have someone here to help us with all the things like that. It's been great that we've had people come back and forth and learn from each other."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Washington D.C.
(XHTV)