Established 1961 Lifestyle

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2019

Giant panda is seen at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, DC. — AFP photos Bye bye Bei Bei: Washington bids farewell to last panda cub

e was born in Washington and took his “We knew that was coming-it’s part of the go: from his first steps, to an operation in first steps in the US capital, but at age loan agreement.” 2016 to remove a lemon-sized chewed-up Hfour, it’s time to head “home”-to . China’s “” has evolved mass of bamboo from his intestines, to his Bei Bei, the last young panda living at the over the years. At one point in time, Beijing upcoming departure. Bei Bei’s name was National Zoo, will leave Washington tomor- gave pandas to friendly nations, but now that revealed at a ceremony in 2015 presided row aboard a specially outfitted FedEx plane, the animals are considered “vulnerable” to over by then US first lady Michelle Obama as planned even before he took his first extinction by the International Union for and , the wife of current breath. Such are the strict rules of “panda Conservation of Nature, China lends pandas Chinese President Xi Jinping. diplomacy.” In front of the zoo’s panda enclo- to zoos around the world. Once a panda Such baptisms are now a ritual at other sure on a chilly day, schoolchildren in winter reaches the age of four, he or she is repatriat- zoos around the world-France’s first lady coats and hats line up to say farewell, many of ed to breed with other animals at sanctuaries Brigitte Macron attended a similar ceremony them with signs reading “Bye bye Bei Bei.” in China. Bei Bei’s siblings, brother with Chinese officials at the Beauval zoo The National Zoo-a branch of the venera- and sister , have already been when cub Yuan Meng was named. Beyond ble Smithsonian, the world’s largest museum returned to China. being universally adored, pandas have and research complex-has organized a week Tian Tian and will remain at become an “extremely successful” policy tool of events to celebrate the departure of Bei the National Zoo until at least December for China, according to Liselotte Odgaard, a Bei, which means “precious, treasure” in 2020, when a new deal would need to be visiting senior fellow at the Hudson Institute Mandarin. Kids can write postcards for the negotiated. Even though the conditions were think tank who specializes in US-China- panda, which will go with him to China, watch always set in stone, Dearie is still heartbro- Europe relations. zookeepers offer him special treats, attend ken to see Bei Bei go. “I’m a very emotional “Especially at the moment when you hear Q&A sessions with zoo personnel or just person, I can admit to that,” he said. “I’m so many negative stories about China,” and watch him play. Through it all, Bei Bei.... sure on the day of the move for Bei Bei, I’ll be Washington is in the middle of a trade war munches on bamboo. in some tears.” with Beijing, “they use the panda as a sort of Marty Dearie is one of Bei Bei’s keepers. fortably,” says Dearie. A keeper and a vet- honey, biscuits,” Dearie explains. FedEx is counter-move to that, and to sort of make the He saw the male cub born in August 2015 Honey and sugarcane erinarian will make the trip with Bei Bei. The paying for the flight and the special outfit- general public think well of China,” Odgaard on the “panda cam”-which is trained on the Moving a to another conti- National Zoo staff will prepare a special ting of the Boeing 777 — called the “Panda explained. “It’s a symbol of China’s history, its zoo’s pandas around the clock. Bei Bei, who nent is no easy task. For several weeks, Bei stash of treats for him-like most giant pan- Express” for the occasion. “Bei Bei and his benevolence, its generosity.” Of course, it’s now weighs a healthy 250 pounds, lives Bei’s keepers have been training him to sit in das, he eats constantly. ‘luggage’ will be the only shipment on the also a lucrative policy tool-zoos pay China with his parents, dad Tian Tian and mom the crate in which he will travel to China on “We’ll probably be taking 15 or 20 kilos aircraft,” said FedEx spokeswoman Rae Lyn millions of dollars a year for their pandas, Mei Xiang. “Our job has been to get him the nonstop 16-hour flight from Washington of bamboo with him at least. He’ll also get Rushing. which bring in hordes of visitors. It’s a regu- prepared for the trip to China from the to Chengdu. “At this point, we were able to apples, sweet potatoes, carrots. We’ll prob- Both the public and his keepers have lar “panda business,” Odgaard says. — AFP moment he was born,” Dearie told AFP. close both doors and he sits in there com- ably take some sugarcane. There might be been enthralled with Bei Bei from the get-