Giant Pandas at Canada’s Calgary Zoo Returned to China Due to Lack of Bamboos to Feed Them During Lockdown

The Calgary Zoo in Canada is sending two giant pandas back to China due to lack of bamboo during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bamboos mostly consists of panda's diet and since lockdown the zoo has been facing difficulty in obtaining it. Earlier bamboos were imported to feed giant pandas Er Shun and Da Mao. They were a loan to Canada from China until 2023, however they are going back before the period ends. West Jet used to transport fresh bamboo to Calgary from Toronto but as flight frequency has reduced between Toronto and China, obtaining bamboos have become very difficult. The Calgary Zoo said and the animals typically eat about 40 kilograms of bamboos every day. German Zoo May Feed Some Inmates to Other Animals as it Struggles Without Funding During Coronavirus Lockdown.

Calgary Zoo President and CEO, Dr Clément Lanthier was quoted as saying, "We believe the best and safest place for Er Shun and Da Mao to be during these challenging and unprecedented times is where bamboo is abundant and easy to access. This was an incredibly difficult decision to make but the health and well-being of the animals we love and care for always comes first." He added, "This was an incredibly difficult decision to make but the health and well-being of the animals we love and care for always comes first." Chinese Zoo Permanently Stops Animal Circus to Teach People Love For Wildlife Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak.

Check Out the Post by Calgary Zoo as the Pandas Leave:

Alison Archambault, the zoo's communications director said that the zoo is now trying to secure the transport of the pandas by working alongside the Canadian and Chinese governments. They expect it to be completed and the animals will be able to bid goodbye in the next few weeks.

Reportedly, Er Shun and Da Mao arrived in Canada in 2014 and spent five years at the Toronto Zoo. Following which they moved to Calgary in March 2018 with cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue, the Calgary Zoo said.

Giant pandas are among some of the rarest animals on the planet. Various efforts to preserve the species have been held in the recent past with considerable positive results. In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature upgraded giant panda's status from "endangered" to "vulnerable". According to the World Wildlife Fund, currently, there are only an estimated 1,864 of them living in the wild.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 13, 2020 04:56 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).