US-born panda Bao Bao lands in China after leaving DC zoo

BEIJING (AP) Bao Bao, an American-born panda cub, has arrived in China after leaving the National Zoo in Washington.

The 3-year-old panda landed in Chengdu in central China on Wednesday evening after a 16-hour flight that was described by pilots and a keeper as having gone smoothly.

Bao Bao left the zoo in a special crate and began her journey from Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia with a keeper and a veterinarian. In preparation for the trip, keepers packed Bao Bao’s favorite foods, including bamboo, apples and sweet potatoes.

The panda’s keeper said in an interview with China’s official Xinhua News Agency at the airport in Chengdu that the panda ate and slept through the flight.

Bao Bao, whose name means “precious” or “treasure,” will eventually join a panda breeding program