FedEx Panda Express to transport two giant pandas from China to the US
FedEx will serve as the transportation partner by providing dedicated flight and ground transportation for the bears and their animal care team from China to the Zoo in Washington, D.C.
(L-R) Bao Li in his habitat at Shenshuping Base in Wolong on May 16 and Qing Bao in her habitat at Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan on May 17. (Credit Roshan Patel, NZCBI)
The Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) announced that it will receive two giant pandas by the end of this year, who will be transported from China via a FedEx Express Boeing 777-Freighter, known as the FedEx Panda Express.
Qing Bao, a two-year-old female, will arrive from the Dujiangyan Base in Sichuan and Bao Li, a two-year-old male, will arrive from the Shenshuping Base in Wolong.
FedEx will serve as the Zoo’s transportation partner using their integrated air and ground network by providing dedicated flight and ground transportation for the bears and their animal care team from China to the Zoo in Washington, D.C.
FedEx is donating the cost of transporting the pandas as part of its ongoing support of environmental conservation efforts. “FedEx has a long history of working with the Chinese government and zoos around the world to safely ship giant pandas to and from China,” the FedEx release reads.
“We look forward to once again calling the FedEx Panda Express into service and using our logistical expertise to safely move Qing Bao and Bao Li to Washington, D.C.,” said Richard W. Smith, president and chief executive officer, Airline and International, FedEx. “It’s a privilege to take part in this next phase of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s giant panda program and provide the safest and most comfortable transportation for these beloved animals.”
FedEx has previously transported 15 different pandas on 10 separate flights over the past two decades. Most recently, the company transported Bao Li’s grandparents, Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji, from Washington, D.C. to China in November 2023. FedEx also transported Bao Li’s mother, Bao Bao, to China in 2017.
Under the cooperative research and breeding agreement, effective through April 2034, a male and female giant panda recommended for breeding will be sent from China to NZCBI. Both adults and any offspring remain under the ownership of China. Any cubs born at NZCBI will move to China by the age of 4.
