Giant panda Mei Jiang and her cub Xiao Qi Jie had a different breakfast this Saturday (16). The two ate “cake” to celebrate 50 years of the President’s historic visit WeRichard Nixon to Chinain 1972.
Giant pandas were gifted to the US by the Chinese government and are among the most famous tenants at the National Zoo, also known as the Smithsonian Zoo, located in Washington DC.
In addition to saluting the historic moment in relations between the countries, the commemoration also highlighted the success of the global giant panda breeding programme, which helped bring the bear back from the brink of extinction.
The pandas had breakfast in front of the crowd. The “cake” was made from frozen fruit juices, sweet potatoes, carrots and sugar cane and lasted about 15 minutes.
The giant pandas Mei Jiang and Xiao Qi Jie — Photo: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
The event was attended by the Chinese Ambassador WeWhich gang? The diplomat praised the bears as “symbols of friendship” between the nations. Chinese practice “Borrowing” Pandas to Zoos Around the World The main objective is the conservation of the species.
However, analysts believe that “Panda diplomacy” has other strategic functions, such as improving the public image of the Asian giants and strengthening trade ties.,
National Zoo Director Brandi Smith and Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang this Saturday (16) – Photo: AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
The original pair of pandas from the National Zoo were Ling-Ling and Hing-Hing. Since their arrival in 1972, they have been a highlight of the zoo, but panda pregnancy is extremely complicated and none of their cubs have survived.
Mei Jiang and Tian Tian – Xiao Qi Jie’s father – arrived in 2000, and the pair successfully gave birth to three other puppies: Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei. everyone was taken China At the age of 4, under the terms of the zoo’s agreement with the Chinese government.
Similar agreements with zoos around the world helped revive the population: in the 1980s, there were just over 1,000 bears of the species. Currently, the giant panda has been removed from the list of endangered animals.
