Monday, April 29 is the last time visitors at the San Diego Zoo will get a chance to see giant pandas Bai Yun and Xiao Liwu.
As part of a conservation loan agreement with the People’s Republic of China, the mother and son pair will be returning to China.
For those who can’t make it to the zoo, it’s also the last day the zoo’s live Panda Cam will be available online.
The pandas were originally supposed to be on display until April 27, but the zoo decided to extend its goodbye celebration.
Fans are encouraged to share their memories of the pandas using #pandas4ever.
The zoo says when it first started its Giant Panda Conservation Program more than 25 years ago, the species was on the verge of extinction. Zoo officials say the awareness the program has helped create, along with the knowledge scientists received through Bai Yun’s pregnancies, have helped boost the wild giant panda population in China to more than 2,000.
The zoo says it will continue to work with its colleagues in China “to determine and redefine the future of panda conservation and research.”
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San Diego Zoo to say goodbye to giant pandas
