BaoBao the beloved giant panda at Washington's National zoo is on her way back to China.
Our U.S. correspondent Priscilla Huff reports:
IN: "(roaring engines)
OUT: SOC
DUR: 2:40
****
ENGINE ROAR
TRACK
And with the roar of the Boeing 777 engines
the Panda express - a special jet provided by FedEx - taxied down the runway to fly BaoBao home to China.
BYE BYE BAO BAO
TRACK
Panda lovers young and old have been flocking to the National Zoo to get one last glimpse of the panda.
TAKE VOXES
They've always just been my favorite animal. I've always enjoyed watching them and they're very entertaining.
Cuz they're so beautiful and I love their cute faces and they are so fun to watch play and eat (And how do you feel about one of our pandas is going home?) Oh, I'm sad but I'm glad she's going home and I understand they reason why they loan the pandas, so it's fun.
I hope all the children love panda
TRACK
To show their love of pandas, visitors carried their stuffed panda toys and wore panda ear headbands, with some even shedding a tear that the bear was heading to a new home.
SQUAWK!
TRACK
That loud squawk was the moment Bao Bao was born
barely bigger than a stick of butter.
BARKING
TRACK
Eight weeks later, Bao Bao was protesting an exam by the veternarians at the Washington zoo.
CRUNCH CRUNCH
TRACK
Now Bao Bao weighs over 200 pounds, happily munching on bamboo
Some 55 pounds of bamboo has been loaded on the jet for the 16 hour trip to China.
Marty Dearie has been her keeper since the day she was born:
CLIP
BaoBao is a very independent bear, even from when the very early days when she was going outside with her mother. she would just kind of do her own thing
TRACK
One of those things she has done...while napping or enjoying a tumble down the slope during a snow storm or investigating the many treats she received during her final days in Washington
is be an ambassador for wildlife conservation
Giant Pandas are now considered vulnerable, not endangered, thanks to the work done by Marty Dearie and his Chinese counterparts.
Marty Dearie
TAKE CLIP
So to me BaoBao represents most importantly our cooperative relationship with our chinese counterparts. That is very important. China is the biggest country in the world so we need them involved in conservation. So the pandas have been such an amazing way to get our scientists and chinese scientists working together on conservation issues.
TRACK
And while Bao Bao has flown home,
The Washington national zoo still has mom Mei Xiang and dad Tien Tien, and baby borther BeiBei.
And New York City is hoping one of their zoos will get to lease a pair of pandas,
Although local officials know the Chinese might be skeptical - as Memphis, Atlanta and San Diego also have pandas...
and it's expensive - over one million dollars a year per panda.
Priscilla Huff, Washington
***ENDS***