A pair of giant pandas, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, are living at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher in central France, where they have become a favorite among visitors.
More than 200 well-wishers gathered on Sunday to bid farewell to the panda.
New pandas expected ‘in the future’ – Embassy of China
“Rest assured, French friends, there will be new giant pandas in the future,” Chinese embassy official Chen Dong was quoted as saying by AFP news agency.
The pandas, who are 17 years old, were supposed to stay in France until January 2027, but the decision was made to send them back to China after Huan Huan was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
The Huan Huan pair left for Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport under heavy police escort for a 12:30 pm (1130 GMT) flight on Tuesday.
Beauval Zoo said in announcing the pair’s departure in September that the pandas had “touched the hearts of millions of visitors, lifted spirits, inspired wonder and helped raise awareness of endangered species conservation.”
China’s ‘Panda Diplomacy’
China has a history of leasing iconic pandas to other countries to build diplomatic ties, a practice known as “panda diplomacy”.
Cubs born in foreign zoos are usually sent back to China.
While living in France, the panda produced three cubs – the first panda in the country to do so.
Zoo director Rodolphe Delord said the twins, born in 2021, are expected to stay in Beauval for now and told AFP he hoped to extend the zoo’s partnership with China beyond 2027.
Yuan Meng, the eldest of the children, left France for his native China in 2023.
Edited by: Jennifer Cimino Gonzalez
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