The Memphis Zoo recently announced that the pandas Ya Ya and Le Le will make their journey back to China within the next few months.
According to the zoo, their loan agreement with the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens will end after two decades.
In a Facebook post, the Memphis Zoo said, “Ya Ya and Le Le have been integral parts of the Memphis community for the past 20 years and we are grateful for the time we were able to spend with them.”
The Memphis Zoo also said that “Ya Ya and Le Le helped pioneer research and conservation projects to teach others about the importance of their species.”
Ya Ya and Le Le arrived at the Memphis Zoo in April of 2003. In a video exploring the China Gardens at the Memphis Zoo, CEO Matt Thompson, said that this was the first time that people in the city were able to see giant pandas, and “experience the culture of China.”
Thompson said that many zoos around the world would like to have giant pandas but have been unsuccessful.
In 1987, a panda named “Shuwa” stayed at the Memphis Zoo, but this was only for 31 days. A large number of guests had come to see her, and wondered why there were no pandas at the zoo.
“At the time, pandas were very rare animals and an endangered species with only about 1,000 remaining in the wild,” said the Memphis Zoo.
In 1996, the Memphis Zoo began having conversations about hosting giant pandas. In this same year, Jim Sasser of Tennessee became the United States ambassador to China.
According to the Memphis Zoo, Sasser began to have conversations with Chinese government officials in March of 1999 about panda research being conducted at the zoo.
The zoo also said that in these conversations, then-president Jiang Zameen said that while Chinese people knew a lot about American culture, it seemed as if Americans knew “very little” about Chinese culture. This is how the idea sparked of having pandas at the Memphis Zoo would serve as an educational experience.
The Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens signed a letter of intent in April of 1999,and in the summer of 2001, crews began working on the 16-million dollar exhibit.
While many have enjoyed seeing the pandas for years, many have also voiced their concerns for the well-being of the pandas as well.
In April of 2021, Memphis Flyer reporter Toby Sells said that “A change.org petition and a letter-writing campaign by Panda Voices, a group “brought together by the ongoing mistreatment of pandas Lele (sic) and Yaya (sic) at Memphis Zoo,” has mobilized thousands across the globe.”
According to Sells, mistreatment concerns ranged from Ya Ya’s “four abortions” that cause “irreversible damage to her body,” and claims that Le Le had “dental problems over the years.”
”I assure you that both pandas are monitored by keeper and veterinary staff daily,” said Jessica Faulk, a zoo spokeswoman said in a statement. “We are also in constant communication with our colleagues in China, as well as [the Association of Zoos and Aquariums], and send them monthly updates.”
Greg Cravens