Farewell to the pandas

With tears in the eyes of fans, journalists and, of course, the zoo keepers escorted to China two pandas, born and raised in the United States. Mei Lan and Tai Shan went on Thursday on a long journey to China, where they were flown to participate in the breeding program. Zookeeper, growing female Mei Lan three-year and 4-year-old male Tai Shana silently said goodbye to them at the cell feed from your hand slices of apples and pears. Once China gave parents and Tai Shang Mei Lan Zoo United States, and now their offspring will go to China - home of its kind.

19 photos via animalpicture

1. Panda Tai Shan before leaving the National Zoo in Washington, DC on February 4. (AP / Jacquelyn Martin)





2. Visitors to the National Zoo way through bamboo thickets near the aviary pandas to look at Tai Shang



3. Panda Tai Shan is strewn with snow on a log at the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington



4. The mother of 4-year-old Tai Shang Mei Xian rolls on a snow-covered hill in the last day of her son at the zoo in Washington



5. Tai Shan sits in the snow and eats bamboo



6. Visitors - "Paparazzi»



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8. Working Tai Shang transported in a special box to be sent to the plane that will take him to China.



9. 4-year-old Tai Shana load in the car «FedEx Panda Express».



10. Tai Shana driven in a special box for the cargo plane to China at the international airport in Chantilly.



11. Nicole Miss zookeeper feeds Tai Shana before being loaded on a plane at the airport in Chantilly.



12. Nicole Mies feed panda Tai Shana in a cargo plane, on which he will fly to China.



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14. Tai Shan of the National Zoo in Washington looks out from a specially made box for him.



15. The senior curator of the zoo Brandy Smith feeds 4-year-old Tai Shana before his departure to China.



16. The 3-year-old female Mei Lan from Zoo Atlanta cargo on board the aircraft. Mei Lan - the first female panda born at Zoo Atlanta. Before you go to China, the plane stopped in Washington to pick up the 4-year-old male Tai Shana.



17. The 3-year-old Mei Lan presented to the press before departure from Atlanta to China.



18. People look like a plane with two pandas aboard a journey to China.



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