Ya Ya plays in her play yard at the Memphis Zoo on Feb 14, 2023.(PHOTO / IC)
Chinese experts will head to Memphis Zoo in the United States next week to assist in the care of giant panda Ya Ya and ensure her health and well-being.
The move comes after the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens received reports of Ya Ya's poor health condition and was instructed by the country's regulatory authorities to take action.
A team of veterinarians and keepers from Beijing Zoo will travel to the US next week to familiarize themselves with Ya Ya's care and work with Memphis Zoo to ensure that she is properly fed, cared for and then escorted back to China.
According to technical experts from both sides, Ya Ya's health condition is stable and her care management is normal.
Both China and the US have been actively negotiating ways to expedite the procedures necessary for Ya Ya's return to her home country.
The Chinese side has completed all approvals, while Beijing Zoo has made preparations to welcome Ya Ya back, including ensuring appropriate facilities, care plans, medical support and food supply.
In 2003, Ya Ya, who was born at Beijing Zoo, traveled to Memphis Zoo in the US state of Tennessee as part of a Sino-US giant panda protection and research program.
In 2006, Ya Ya began to lightly shed fur, with the situation worsening in 2014, the association said.
lihongyang@chinadaily.com.cn