CALGARY (660 NEWS) – After months of work trying to get international flight permits, the Calgary Zoo said its beloved pandas are heading home.
The Zoo shared the news on social media Friday morning as Er Shun and Da Mao boarded a cargo jet, en route to China.
Er Shun and Da Mao are travelling home to China with two of our Animal Care team members: Cissy and Margaret, who will spend 14-days quarantining in China once they arrive, and another 14-days quarantining in Canada once they return. #GetThePandasHome #PandaExpress pic.twitter.com/3ooEHQMTtY
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) November 27, 2020
The decision to send the pandas home was made last spring as the pandemic made it difficult to get fresh bamboo to the animals due to number of flight cancellations between China and Canada.
Zoo officials have brought in bamboo from different sources across North America, however, it was an expensive process.
Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Calgary in 2018 after spending five years at the Toronto Zoo and were scheduled to stay until 2023.
You can follow the pandas’ journey home on social media using the #GetThePandasHome.
After months of hard work to secure intl permits, TODAY is the day the giant pandas head home! Huge thank you to our partners at @flyyy & International Animal Lounge YYC for being part of the Er Shun & Da Mao’s journey home. Follow along as we #GetThePandasHome! ???? #PandaExpress pic.twitter.com/RCICvOekiO
— Calgary Zoo (@calgaryzoo) November 27, 2020
-With files from The Canadian Press
