DC pandas will be returning to 中国 in 中央の-November, weeks earlier than 推定する／予想するd
WASHINGTON (AP) - The 国家の Zoo's three celebrity 巨大（な） pandas will be 長，率いるing home a little earlier than 推定する／予想するd. Zoo 公式の／役人s told The Associated 圧力（をかける） on Thursday that adult 耐えるs Mei Xiang and Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji will be returning to 中国 いつか in 中央の-November.
The zoo´s 交流 協定 with the Chinese 政府, 初めは 仲買人d by 大統領 Richard Nixon 50 years ago, 満了する／死ぬs Dec. 7. 現在進行中の 交渉s to 延長する the 協定 港／避難所't produced results, まっただ中に 憶測 from 中国-選挙立会人s that Beijing is 徐々に pulling its pandas from Western nations 予定 to 悪化するing 外交関係 with the U.S. and other countries.
Panda-philes around the country had circled the December date as the last chance to 見解（をとる） the iconic 耐えるs. But the zoo, for 公表されていない 推論する／理由s, said the 出発 would happen about three weeks earlier.
"Discussions with our Chinese partner, the 中国 野性生物 自然保護 協会, to develop a 未来 巨大（な） panda program will likely start after the 現在の pandas have returned to 中国," zoo spokesperson Annalisa Meyer said in an email. "After 51 years of success, we remain committed to 巨大（な） panda 自然保護. ... It´s our 意向 to have 巨大（な） pandas at the Zoo again and continue our 研究 here and 自然保護 work in 中国."
The 耐えるs have been a wildly popular attraction and an 非公式の symbol of the nation's 資本／首都 for １０年間s. Every birthday and 周年記念日 was an occasion for public 祝賀 and the long-発射 birth of Xiao Qi Ji in the 中央 of the pandemic in August 2020 drove millions of テレビ視聴者s to the zoo's panda-（機の）カム.
Zoo 公式の／役人s say they remain 希望に満ちた they will come to a new 協定 with the Chinese 政府. The San Diego zoo returned its pandas in 2019, and the last 耐える at the Memphis, Tennessee, zoo went home earlier this year. The 出発 of the 国家の Zoo´s 耐えるs would mean that the only 巨大（な） pandas left in America are at the Atlanta Zoo - and that 貸付金 協定 満了する／死ぬs late next year.
Beijing 現在／一般に lends out 65 pandas to 19 countries through "協同組合 研究 programs" with a 明言する／公表するd 使節団 to better 保護する the 攻撃を受けやすい 種類. The pandas return to 中国 when they reach old age, and any cubs born in the 部隊d 明言する／公表するs are sent to 中国 around age 3 or 4.
