Written by Sarah De Leon
If you’ve been keeping up with the news of the beloved animals at the zoo, you may have heard that the pandas are sadly leaving the zoo. Though it is sad and quite possibly un-bear-able, the pandas are going to a better place, back to their homeland in China! More specifically, in a panda base!
If you were out of the panda information loop, they’re leaving because the agreement between the Chinese government and the Smithsonian expired. The agreement between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Smithsonian was signed in January in 2011, and was called the “Giant Panda Cooperative Research and Breeding Agreement.” That being said, the agreement actually ended in 2015, however, it kept extending, making the pandas stay longer until 2023.
Going into depth about what’s actually happening aside from the agreement is, they actually are actually being taken back to China to make more pandas! Their main idea and goal is to create more pandas and save the species since pandas are a threatened species and are moving towards extinction. I hope they’re not too bamboozled about the sudden change.
Don’t worry though! There is still plenty of time to go see the pandas.
They’re still at the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington D.C. until Dec. 7th, 2023! Doing the bear-minimum, they still are one of the cutest animals out there, so I suggest you go see them before they leave!
The zoo is hosting a send-off party for the pandas, quite literally called a “panda palooza”! If you want to go to a fun-filled party, it will be hosted from now up until Oct. 1st.
There will be great sorts of movies, such as Kung Fu Panda, documentaries about pandas, etc., along with a panda lounge where there will be fun activities, scavenger hunts, learning activities, art galleries, definitely food, and so much more!
Hope to see you there! Hopefully, the pandas will be back and not gone fur-ever, and will be back to visit in no time!
