Fu Bao, a beloved giant panda born in Everland, will be carried in a “vibration-free truck” during her overseas transfer to China, according to the nation’s largest theme park on Feb.27. China is poised to send a chartered plane for the female giant panda.
Female panda is scheduled for transfer to China on April 3. She will be on display for the public at Everland until March 3, and then be kept in a separate space for a month to undergo medical examinations and quarantine procedures for her return to China. Fu Bao will not be visible to the public on the day of her return; however, the theme park officials will offer a set of special events for Fu Bao fans in Korea.
Fu Bao will be housed at the China Conservation and Research for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province. A specially designed cage, transparent and tempered with breathing holes, will be created to reduce the panda’s stress during her overseas transfer. From Everland Amusement park to Incheon Airport, covering about 85 kilometers, the panda will be driven out in a non-vibration truck to minimize vibration.
From Incheon Airport, a female panda will be flown to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport for a 3.5-hour, 2,400-kilometer flight. Zookeeper Kang Cheol-won, also known as “Fu Bao’s big grandfather,” will accompany to alleviate her stress of being in an unfamiliar environment. The flight will also include a veterinarian to monitor the panda’s health condition in real-time and experts from the China Conservation and Research Center. The cabin temperature will be carefully maintained for her comfort, and emergency medication will be available.
The cherished giant panda will have the entire cargo space to herself. Some fans have questioned why she cannot travel in a seat given her human-like behavior. Despite being a herbivore, prey animal panda has to be transported in a cage. While some suggest transportation by ship, an amusement park official said, “Minimizing travel time reduces stress for Fu Bao.”
Upon her arrival, Fu Bo will be transferred to her new home, China Conservation and Research for the Giant Panda. It has yet to be decided which of the center’s bases she will be housed at. However, Ai Bao and Le Bao, parents of Fu Bao, were accommodated in DuJiangYan.
Beloved Japan-born Xiang Xiang is currently housed at the Bifengxia base. Returned to China last February, Xiang Xiang was born in 2017 at Uneo Zoo in Tokyo and became a celebrity panda in Japan. A crowd gathered at the zoon on the day of her departure to say goodbye. At Narita International Airport, fans carrying panda hats and stuffed dolls bid farewell in tears to a Japanese-born giant panda.
0 Comments