3:16
\"We have known since the day Bei Bei was born he would be moving to China.\" Smithsonian Zoo spokesperson Devin Murphy said at Bei Bei's fourth birthday celebration on Aug. 22. \"It's also a really exciting milestone for us so we want him to move to China and become part of the breeding program and eventually have cubs and hopefully maybe one day some of those cubs will be released into the wild.\"
Bei Bei will join the giant panda breeding program in China when he reaches sexual maturity, likely between the ages of 5 and 7.
The National Zoo has worked on a breeding program with Chinese scientists since the U.S. received its first pair of pandas as a gift following President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972. It is one of just three American zoos -- including Zoo Atlanta and Memphis Zoo -- that currently have agreements with China to host giant pandas. Earlier this year, the San Diego Zoo sent back its remaining two giant pandas when their lease with China ended and was not renewed.
Bei Bei's parents, Mei Xing and Tian Tian, are the National Zoo's only breeding giant panda couple since 2000. Though the original 10-year, $10 million lease agreement with China to study the pair has been extended multiple times, it's now set to expire on Dec. 7, 2020. It's entirely up to China whether to recall its pandas or not.
According to the National Zoo's website, around 1,800 giant pandas currently live in the wild, while another 300 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world. The International Union for Conservation of Nature changed the status of giant pandas from endangered to vulnerable in 2016, reflecting the species' comeback in recent years.
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