Giant pandas go home to China, thanks to FedEx

MANILA, Philippines - FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world’s largest express transportation company, has transported two giant pandas from the United States to China. Working in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in Washington, D.C. and Zoo Atlanta, FedEx Express flew the pandas non-stop from Washington’s Dulles International Airport to Chengdu, China.

Tai Shan, a four-and-a-half-year-old male panda born at the National Zoo, and Mei Lan, a three-year-old female panda born at Zoo Atlanta, travelled onboard a custom-decaled FedEx Express 777 Freighter (777F) – known as the “FedEx Panda Express.”

“The FedEx global network, our unparalleled service to and from China and our long history transporting some of the world’s most precious cargo makes FedEx uniquely suited for this special delivery,” said David L. Cunningham Jr., president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. “We are honored to serve as the trusted carrier for Tai Shan and Mei Lan’s journey to Chengdu and to play a role in supporting the preservation of this endangered species.”

Conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tai Shan and Mei Lan are part of global, giant panda conservation programs.

In addition to donating all the necessary air transportation, FedEx Express also provided ground and logistical support in Washington, D.C. and Atlanta.

Upon arriving in Chengdu, Tai Shan was received by the China Wildlife Conservation Association while the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens took delivery of Mei Lan. Tai Shan will reside at the China Conservation and Research Center’s Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan, China and Mei Lan will reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

FedEx Express has a long history of transporting rare and delicate cargo. In 2000, FedEx transported Tai Shan’s parents from China to Washington D.C.’s National Zoo and in 2003, FedEx transported a giant panda from China to the Memphis Zoo.

In addition, FedEx has transported polar bears, white tigers, elephants, penguins, lions, gorillas, eagles and even a 13-foot tiger shark used in filming the movie “Jaws.”

Other unusual international cargo transported by FedEx includes a windmill from Denmark, an 11,000-pound helicopter, and a five-ton communications satellite.