Seven years ago, the giant panda Yingmei was in the prime of its life when she arrived in Yangzhou, where she has brought cheers and laughter to the citizens. Seven years later, the 16-year-old panda is old and will embark on her homecoming trip to spend her late years in southwest China’s Sichuan province.
At 9:30pm on Thursday, Yingmei was ready for its journey to Shanghai where she would get aboard a flight to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan and return to the China Giant Panda Protection Research Center in Dujiangyan to spend her late years.
Prior to her departure, Jiang Feng, the keeper for seven years, weighed, vaccinated and bathed the giant panda with the help of her colleagues. The 16-year-old panda is comparable to humans in their early 60s. The physical examination showed that Yingmei was in very good condition.
After the medical examination was over, Yingmei could not wait to eat fresh bamboo shoots. Jiang Feng was very reluctant to part with the panda. The Zhuyuwan Zoo therefore arranged for Jiang Feng to go along with the panda and escort her to her hometown.
In the past few days, local citizens have come in an endless stream to bid farewell to the panda by giving gifts and taking photos with her.
The Dujiangyan Panda Base, with full name of Dujiangyan Base of the China Conservation & Research Center for the Giant Panda is the only organization or base in the world which was specially established for rescue and disease control of giant pandas.
Covering about 506,667 square meters including 12,542 square meters of building, the Dujiangyan Panda Base consists of six functional zones: rescue and quarantine, disease control and research, rehabilitation, training and feeding, reception and education and natural vegetation and service.
(Source: Jiangsu International Channel)
