Giant pandas will remain at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington for another three years under an agreement reached with Chinese wildlife officials, the zoo said on Monday.

The panda loan deal between the United States and China had been set to expire in December.

The National Zoo said it had signed a three-year extension with the Conservation Biology Institute and China Wildlife and Conservation Association.

Under the agreement, the National Zoo's 22-year-old female giant panda Mei Xiang, 23-year-old male giant panda Tian Tian and their cub, Xiao Qi Ji, born on August 21, would go to China in December 2023.

"Along with millions of Americans, I look forward to the next three years, watching Xiao Qi Ji grow and making further strides in conservation and in our understanding of giant pandas," said Steve Monfort, director of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

The National Zoo has hosted giant pandas from China since 1972 and Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have been at the zoo since December 2000.

Xiao Qi Ji is their fourth surviving cub. The other three were returned to China.

There are an estimated 1,800 giant pandas in the wild in China, mostly in Sichuan Province, and some 600 living in zoos and breeding centers around the world.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China's Xi sends condolences over death of former French president
Beijing (AFP) Dec 4, 2020
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences on Friday over the death of former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, state television reported, calling him a "remarkable French statesman". The former president died on Wednesday from Covid-19 aged 94, at his family's estate. Xi expressed "deep condolences" to his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron, state media said, adding that the former president had "loved Chinese culture". Giscard "actively encouraged friendly exchanges and coopera ... read more