France says ‘bon voyage’ to 2 China-bound beloved pandas

paris: A couple of star giant pandas who lived in France for 13 years and gave birth to three cubs were on their way back to China on Tuesday, the Beauval Zoo said.

Huan Huan, the female, and her partner Yuan Zi, both 17, are travelling on a 12-hour flight from Paris’ Charles-de-Gaulle airport in big white boxes with windows, holes for breathing and the inscription “Bon voyage.”

Zoo director Rodolphe Delord, during a goodbye ceremony at the airport, said “they are reaching an age that requires highly specialised care” and will “benefit from the optimal environment” at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where they were born.

Delord had previously explained that Huan Huan has been diagnosed with kidney failure, which isn’t uncommon for a carnivore this age. French and Chinese veterinary teams decided to send them back to China while their health condition allows them to travel safely, he said. Agencies