YUAN MENG, a giant panda born in France, was scheduled to arrive at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan Province later yesterday, marking his first visit to his ancestral homeland.

Yuan Meng’s name, meaning “realizing a dream,” was jointly chosen by China and France, symbolizing the enduring friendship between the two nations.

Yuan Meng’s parents, Yuan Zi and Huan Huan, arrived in France from China in 2012, loaned to Beauval Zoo under a Chinese conservation scheme aimed at breeding pandas around the world.

The French team was successful: Yuan Meng became the first panda born on French soil Aug. 4, 2017, and twin siblings Yuan Dudu and Huan Lili followed in 2021.

As well as boosting numbers of the vulnerable species, the pandas have heightened interest in Beauval Zoo in central France. The year Yuan Zi and Huan Huan arrived, visitor numbers doubled to exceed 1 million. In 2022, they reached 2 million.

According to the International Giant Panda Conservation Agreement, pandas born overseas should be returned to China between the ages of 2 and 4, before they reach sexual maturity between 4 and 6 years old. It is believed that sending them back to their native China, the original habitat of giant pandas, will provide them with the best conditions to breed the next generation of panda cubs.

Yuan Meng was supposed to come to China earlier, but his journey was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knowing that Yuan Meng would be leaving France, many French people expressed their wishes for the giant panda to extend its stay.

On May 17, French First Lady Brigitte Macron visited the zoo to bid farewell to Yuan Meng, taking the opportunity to emphasize the importance of protecting endangered species.

For over 150 years, France and China have been collaborating on giant panda research. In 1869, French naturalist and missionary Armand David introduced this unique species, which had lived in China for 8 million years, to the Western world. Since then, the giant panda has captured the hearts of people worldwide.

According to statistics from the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, from 1957 to 1982, China gifted 24 giant pandas to nine countries. These pandas were warmly welcomed by the people of those countries.

In 1982, due to deteriorating ecological conditions and a sharp decline in the panda population, China stopped gifting pandas to foreign countries and instead engaged in cooperative efforts and research with other nations.

As of June 2023, China has established scientific cooperation with 22 zoos in 19 countries, where 64 pandas and their offspring reside. (SD News)