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Bei Bei, Washington's Eligible Bachelor Panda, Heads to China

Reuters

   After a month of preparations and goodbyes, Bei Bei, the Washington
   National Zoo's most eligible giant panda bachelor, was on his way to
   China on Tuesday, where scientists hope he will help increase the
   population of his species.

   The departure of 4-year-old Bei Bei to his parents' homeland had been
   pre-arranged and was announced last month by the zoo, where giant
   pandas have always been a visitor favorite.

   Bei Bei, which means "precious treasure," munched his last American
   breakfast of bamboo and leaf eater biscuits early Tuesday before
   entering a custom travel crate that was loaded onto a truck for the
   trip to Dulles International Airport, the zoo said.

   From there, he began the 16-hour direct flight to Chengdu, China,
   aboard a dedicated Boeing 777F flown by FedEx and stocked with his
   favorite snacks, such as bamboo shoots, pears, and cooked sweet
   potatoes, it said.

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