Tian Bao, Bao Di & Bao Mei returned to China
The three giant pandas that were born in Belgium, Tian Bao, Bao Di & Bao Mei returned to China.
The brothers and sister left their birthplace Pairi Daiza on December 10, 2024.
Veterinarian Yang Haidi from CCRCGP traveled to Belgium on December 5 to conduct routine health check-ups and assessments in collaboration with Belgian veterinary experts, and escorted the three giant pandas back to China together with their Belgian pandakeeper Liu Yang.
Tian Bao was born in June 2016, while the twins Bao Di and Bao Mei were born in August 2019, all being the offspring of Xing Hui and Hao Hao.
Pairi Daiza’s owner Eric Domb, Minister-President of Wallonia Antoine Dolimont and China’s Ambassador to Belgium H.E. Fei Shengchao attended the farewell event with 1500 enthusiastic panda fans and members of the media.
In his remarks, Ambassador Fei Shengchao said that giant panda siblings’ return to China is not only a significant milestone in China-Belgium cooperation on ecological conservation and research, but also a testament to the deep friendship between the two peoples. We warmly welcome our friends to visit them in China, and to further strengthen China-Belgium cooperation in various fields.
Sichuan Airlines flew the pandas from Brussels Airport to Chengdu, where they arrived on the morning of December 11. They will go into quarantaine at the Ya’an Base of CCRCGP.
According to the agreement between China and Belgium, giant panda cubs born in Belgium must return to China before reaching the age of 4. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, after amicable negotiations, the return of the three giant pandas to China was delayed until now.
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Source: China Daily & Pairi Daiza
