Bye-Bye, Bao Bao!

For the past three-and-a-half years, an adorable giant panda cub has captured the hearts of visitors to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The panda, named Bao Bao (pronounced bow-bow), also has fans around the world. Thanks to the zoo’s panda cams, people have been able to watch nearly every moment of Bao Bao’s life by going online. But the panda’s followers will soon bid her farewell. This winter, Bao Bao will board a special FedEx cargo plane bound for China—pandas’ native home.

Bao Bao was born at the National Zoo on August 23, 2013. Her parents, pandas Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN), are on loan to the zoo as part of a breeding agreement between the U.S. and China. The zoo pays an annual $500,000 fee to support panda conservation efforts in China. In exchange, it can exhibit Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and any cubs they have to millions of zoo visitors and web viewers. According to the agreement, all panda cubs born in the U.S. must be moved to China by the time they turn 4 years old.

For the past three-and-a-half years, a giant panda cub has lived at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The adorable creature has captured the hearts of zoo visitors. Bao Bao (pronounced bow-bow) has fans around the world too. People have been able to watch nearly every moment of her life with the zoo’s online panda cams. But the panda’s followers will soon tell her goodbye. This winter, Bao Bao will board a special FedEx cargo plane headed for China. That’s pandas’ native home.

Bao Bao was born at the National Zoo on August 23, 2013. Her parents are Mei Xiang (may-SHONG) and Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN). These two pandas are at the zoo as part of a breeding agreement between the U.S. and China. The zoo pays $500,000 a year to support panda conservation efforts in China. In return, it can display Mei Xiang, Tian Tian, and any cubs they have. Millions of zoo visitors and web viewers get to watch the pandas. The agreement states how long the cubs can stay. All panda cubs born in the U.S. must be moved to China by the time they turn 4 years old.

For the past 26 years, pandas have been considered endangered. The breeding program aims to boost the panda population. It seems to be paying off. Last year, pandas’ status was changed to vulnerable—still threatened with extinction, but to a lesser degree.

“People love pandas,” says Laurie Thompson, the National Zoo’s assistant curator of pandas. “If we didn’t have them here, people might not get as interested in saving them—most people don’t have the chance to go to China to see them in the wild.”

For the past 26 years, pandas have been considered endangered. The breeding program aims to boost panda numbers. It seems to be paying off. Last year, pandas’ status was changed to vulnerable. They’re still in danger of disappearing, but to a lesser degree.

Laurie Thompson is the National Zoo’s assistant curator of pandas. “People love pandas,” she says. “If we didn’t have them here, people might not get as interested in saving them—most people don’t have the chance to go to China to see them in the wild.”

Giant pandas are bears native to the mountainous regions of south-central China. The animals have large black patches around their eyes and over their ears. The markings make them easily distinguishable from the other seven members of the bear family, which includes black bears, brown bears, and polar bears. Pandas are considered carnivores. But they actually prefer plants to meat. One plant in particular, bamboo, accounts for more than 90 percent of their diet. The animals typically spend more than 12 hours a day munching on bamboo’s woody stalks.

Giant pandas once lived throughout China and some countries to the south (see Shrinking Panda Habitat). Now the animals live in only a few remote mountain ranges in central China. For decades, people have farmed, built roads, and logged in China’s lowland forests where bamboo grows. Since pandas rely so heavily on bamboo, destruction of their limited habitat has caused a steep drop in their numbers.

Giant pandas are bears. They’re native to the mountainous areas of south-central China. The animals have large black patches around their eyes and over their ears. The markings make it easy to tell them apart from the other seven members of the bear family. These include black bears, brown bears, and polar bears. Pandas are considered carnivores. But they would rather eat plants than meat. One plant—bamboo—makes up more than 90 percent of their diet. The animals spend more than 12 hours a day munching on bamboo’s woody stalks.

Giant pandas once lived throughout China and some countries to the south (see Shrinking Panda Habitat). Now they live in only a few remote mountain ranges in central China. For decades, people have farmed, built roads, and logged in China’s lowland forests. That’s where bamboo grows. Since pandas depend on bamboo, they live only in areas where it’s found. The destruction of these areas has caused a steep drop in panda numbers.

In 1988, scientists estimated that only 1,114 pandas survived in the wild. In recent years, panda populations have started to recover. A survey in September counted roughly 1,800 animals in the wild. Zoos are home to about 375 additional captive pandas.

In 1988, scientists believed that only 1,114 pandas survived in the wild. In recent years, panda numbers have started to rise. A survey in September counted around 1,800 animals in the wild. About 375 pandas live in zoos. 

Pandas’ ongoing recovery is largely due to the Chinese government’s protection of the animals’ habitat. The government established 67 nature preserves—27 of which were created in the past decade. “That’s a lot of protection on the ground,” says Binbin Li, a panda expert based at Duke University, in North Carolina. “However, 18 of the populations [some of them protected within preserves] have fewer than 10 individuals with extremely high risk of local extinction.”

The Chinese government is protecting pandas’ habitat. That’s the main reason the animals’ populations are bouncing back. The government set up 67 nature preserves. Twenty-seven of these were created in the past decade. “That’s a lot of protection on the ground,” says Binbin Li. She’s a panda expert based at Duke University, in North Carolina. But “18 of the populations [some of them protected within preserves] have fewer than 10 individuals with extremely high risk of local extinction,” she says.

Conservationists in China are also breeding the bears in captivity. The success of this breeding program relies on genetic diversity. This term describes variation within a population’s genes, or units of hereditary material. The best chance for Bao Bao to help her species is to breed successfully with unrelated pandas in China. That will help widen pandas’ gene pool. If the program is successful, Bao Bao’s cubs and grandcubs could one day be released into the wild.

Conservationists in China are also breeding captive pandas. The breeding program’s success depends on genetic diversity. That’s the differences within a population’s genes, or units of hereditary material. Bao Bao’s best chance to help her species is to breed with pandas in China that aren’t related to her. That will help widen pandas’ gene pool. With luck, Bao Bao will have cubs and grandcubs. Someday, they could be released into the wild.

Bao Bao probably won’t be lonely when she starts her new life in China. That’s because pandas are known as a solitary species. In the wild, panda cubs leave their moms by the time they are 2 to 3 years old. And they never interact with their dads.

Bao Bao will soon start her new life in China. But she probably won’t be lonely. That’s because pandas are known as a solitary species. In the wild, panda cubs leave their moms by the time they are 2 to 3 years old. And they never spend time with their dads.

Zookeepers gradually separated Bao Bao from her mom in March 2015, which allowed Mei Xiang to start preparing to have another cub. The newest roly-poly star of the zoo’s panda exhibit was born five months later. The male cub is named Bei Bei (bay-bay). One day, he will follow his sister’s journey to China.

“We know from the time they’re born that all the cubs will get sent to China,” says Thompson, one of Bao Bao’s keepers. “We try not to get too attached—it’s kind of hard because obviously they’re very cute. For us, it’s like sending your kid off to college. She’s learned all the skills you can teach, and now it’s time for her to go and do what she’s meant to do—and that’s make more pandas.” 

Little by little, zookeepers took Bao Bao away from her mom in March 2015. Then Mei Xiang could start getting ready for another cub. The newest roly-poly star of the zoo’s panda exhibit was born five months later. The male cub is named Bei Bei. One day, he will follow his sister’s journey.

Thompson is one of Bao Bao’s keepers. “We know from the time they’re born that all the cubs will get sent to China,” she says. “We try not to get too attached—it’s kind of hard because obviously they’re very cute. For us, it’s like sending your kid off to college. She’s learned all the skills you can teach, and now it’s time for her to go and do what she’s meant to do—and that’s make more pandas.”