MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Visitors on the Memphis Zoo mentioned goodbye Saturday to massive panda Ya Ya throughout a farewell celebration forward of her departure again to China.

Highlighted by Chinese cultural performances, the sendoff marked the tip of a 20-year mortgage settlement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens that landed Ya Ya in Memphis. About 500 individuals attended the occasion, which featured an indication by the Tennessee Happy Kung Fu School.

Ya Ya was born August 3, 2000 in Beijing. She was joined in Memphis underneath the mortgage settlement by Le Le, a male panda who was born July 18, 1998 and died in February forward of the pair’s deliberate return to China.

Ya Ya will seemingly head again to China on the finish of month, based on zoo spokesperson Rebecca Winchester.

Memphis Zoo invitations the neighborhood to want Ya Ya secure travels and rejoice our 20-year partnership with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens. Join us on the CHINA exhibit from 10AM-2PM on Sat, April eighth, to take pleasure in cultural performances, signal goodbye letters, and extra! pic.twitter.com/LM38UI1d2K

— Memphis Zoo (@MemphisZoo) April 6, 2023

The zoo says the pandas have been key to analysis and conservation tasks and helped individuals expertise a few of Chinese tradition.

The life expectancy of a large panda within the wild is about 15 years, however in captivity they've lived to be as previous as 38. Decades of conservation efforts within the wild and research in captivity saved the large panda species from extinction, rising its inhabitants from fewer than 1,000 at one time to greater than 1,800 within the wild and captivity.

Advocacy teams In Defense of Animals and Panda Voices beforehand applauded the return to China, saying the pandas had been struggling within the zoo setting. Zoo officers mentioned the teams have been spreading false info. Zoo President and CEO Matt Thompson known as Le Le and Ya Ya “two of the most spoiled animals on the planet.”

A memorial for Le Le was on show on the zoo on Saturday.

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