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Bon voyage: Beauval’s Beloved Giant Pandas Return to China for Specialized Care

Beauval Zoo has sent 17-year-old pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi back to the Chengdu Research Base after 13 years in France. Huan Huan has been diagnosed with kidney failure, and veterinary teams from both countries agreed the pair should travel while they are still fit to do so. The pandas—whose offspring include France's first-born panda—will receive specialized care in Chengdu and continue supporting conservation education.

10:40 AM, 11/26/2025Environment
Bon voyage: Beauval’s Beloved Giant Pandas Return to China for Specialized Care

Beauval Zoo in France bid a fond farewell to two of its most famous residents as 17-year-old giant pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi departed for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where they were born. The pair, who lived at Beauval for 13 years, were loaded into large white travel crates marked "Bon voyage" for the roughly 12-hour flight from Paris Charles de Gaulle; the crates included viewing windows and ventilation to ensure their comfort during transit.

At an airport farewell ceremony, Beauval director Rodolphe Delord said the pandas "are reaching an age that requires highly specialized care" and will "benefit from the optimal environment" at Chengdu. Delord previously disclosed that Huan Huan has been diagnosed with kidney failure, a condition not uncommon in older members of the Carnivora order. French and Chinese veterinary teams agreed the couple should return while their health still allows safe travel, and veterinarians accompanied and monitored them during the transfer.

Huan Huan and Yuan Zi arrived at Beauval in 2012 and became major public attractions, helping raise awareness about panda conservation. In 2017 Huan Huan gave birth to Yuan Meng, the first panda ever born in France; the male cub was later repatriated to China. In 2021 she had female twins, Huanlili and Yuandudu, who will remain at Beauval for the time being. The zoo welcomed about 1.9 million visitors last year.

The move underscores both the international collaboration in panda care and the continuing role these animals play in conservation education. Beauval said the pair’s return to their birthplace will allow them to receive specialized medical attention and continue contributing to public awareness efforts at Chengdu.

Context on conservation

Conservation measures in China and international breeding programs have helped stabilize giant panda numbers: there are roughly 2,000 pandas living in the wild in China and about 500 in captivity worldwide.

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