Giant pandas at Calgary Zoo begin journey home to China
Male Da Mao and female Er Shun are in transport, according to zoo social media
The two giant pandas living at the Calgary Zoo are en route to China, according to the Calgary Zoo's Twitter account.
"Our awesome registrar team are pros at moving endangered species around the world safely, but pandemic Giant Panda travel created some unique challenges," reads the Twitter post.
Our awesome Registrar team are pros at moving endangered species around the world safely, but pandemic Giant Panda travel created some unique challenges: CITES Re-Export Permits to Deworming Records….and that doesn’t include the Attendant’s documents! 🤯🐼📋 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GetThePandasHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GetThePandasHome</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZuHnHtToEO">pic.twitter.com/ZuHnHtToEO</a>
—@calgaryzooThe pandas, adult female Er Shun and adult male Da Mao, were expected to be at the Calgary Zoo until 2023, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic there were issues sourcing a sustained supply of bamboo for them to eat.
The Calgary Zoo said staff worked with the San Diego Zoo and Suncoast Nursery to arrange weekly shipments of fresh bamboo, but the process of finding the right bamboo has been expensive and time-consuming.
Throughout their trip home, each panda has about 100 kilograms of bamboo to munch on along with pears, apples and biscuits.
Each giant panda will consume approximately 100kg (200lbs) of bamboo during their flights home to China, along with biscuits and fruit (apples and pears). 🐼🌿🍎<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GetThePandasHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GetThePandasHome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PandaExpress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PandaExpress</a><a href="https://twitter.com/Lufthansa_Cargo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lufthansa_Cargo</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FlyYYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FlyYYC</a> <a href="https://t.co/gUCNY0WDLp">pic.twitter.com/gUCNY0WDLp</a>
—@calgaryzooOn average, each giant panda consumes about 40 kilograms of bamboo daily.
Previously, the zoo said it was waiting on permit approvals in order too be able to fly the pandas home.
When the Calgary Zoo shared our challenges in getting fresh bamboo shipments for our beloved giant pandas and made the difficult decision to send them home to China 3-years earlier than expected, <a href="https://twitter.com/Lufthansa_Cargo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lufthansa_Cargo</a> stepped up to get them home safely. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GetThePandasHome?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GetThePandasHome</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PandaExpress?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PandaExpress</a> <a href="https://t.co/PAIoY0TG2v">pic.twitter.com/PAIoY0TG2v</a>
—@calgaryzooEr Shun and Da Mao arrived in Calgary in 2018, along with cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, after spending five years at the Toronto Zoo.
The cubs were sent to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in January.
With files from Hannah Kost and The Canadian Press.