Farewell, Ya Ya and Le Le: Memphis Zoo returning 2 giant pandas to China
The two giant Pandas on loan to the Memphis Zoo will return to China, ending a 20-year stay in the Mid-South for Ya Ya and Le Le.
The zoo made the announcement Wednesday morning, saying the animals will be transferred in the coming months in cooperation with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens.
"It has been a privilege to host these incredible bears at Memphis Zoo for the past two decades and the impact their culture has had on the City of Memphis will forever be remembered," the zoo said in a statement on Facebook.
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The Memphis Zoo has been one of three zoos in the United States to have pandas with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens, the other two being Zoo Atlanta and the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, D.C. The San Diego Zoo returned its pandas to China in 2019.
All of the other zoos currently with pandas have sent pandas back to China in the past, which is standard for the zoo.
Representatives for the Memphis Zoo were not available for comment and it is unknown whether a new agreement was in the works for pandas after Ya Ya and Le Le are sent back to China Wednesday morning. But the Zoo said in a social media statement that they hope to continue the relationship.
"It has been a wonderful 20 years fostering this relationship with Ya Ya, Le Le and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens and we look forward to continuing this partnership in the future," the zoo said.
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The two pandas are in their early 20s, with Ya Ya, the female panda, the younger of the duo and Le Le, the male, the older. Although the life span for pandas in the wild is in flux, the Smithsonian said it could range from 15-20 years. That number could reach upwards of 30 years in human care.
The pandas first arrived in Memphis in 2003, a project recently promoted president Matt Thompson worked on at the time. The first contract ended in 2013, with a second 10-year contract being signed keeping the pandas in the Bluff City until 2023.
In recent years, the Memphis Zoo drew the ire of activists who believed the pandas were being mistreated and neglected. The allegations were furthered when pop star Billie Eilish voiced disdain for perceived mistreatment of the pandas.
"CAZG is confident that the giant pandas at the Memphis Zoo are receiving the highest quality of care," the organization said in a written statement at the time.
A series of detailed statements from the Memphis Zoo explained that both Ya Ya and Le Le were in great health, especially for their age.
On Facebook, Memphians were disappointed with the news that Ya Ya and Le Le were leaving the zoo.
"Noooooooo pandas are my favorite animal! I absolutely had a come apart everytime I went seeing them," Destiny Farrell posted on the zoo's Facebook page. "they are so beautiful and cute."
Kelli Rohlman wrote that she planned to visit the pandas before they return to China to "wish them farewell and happy retirement."
"They were one of my absolute favorite parts of working for the Memphis Zoo about a decade ago. I loved walking by and seeing them every day," Rohlman wrote on Facebook.
Rebecca Talley recalled when the pandas arrived in Memphis on a FedEx plane with images of the bears on both sides of the jet.
"I was 10 at that time," Talley said on Facebook. "The end of an era. I loved going to see them."
Lucas Finton is a news reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com and followed on Twitter @LucasFinton.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Giant Pandas leaving Memphis Zoo, returning to China
