Giant panda parents, cubs back in China from Spain

Giant panda Bing Xing eats a cake at the farewell party in Madrid, Spain, Feb. 22, 2024. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)

CHENGDU, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Three Spain-born giant pandas, together with their parents, arrived in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu in Sichuan Province on Friday after a flight of about 12 hours.

The three pandas -- Chulina, Jiu Jiu and You You -- were sent to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding with their parents Bing Xing and Hua Zui Ba.

All the five pandas are in good health condition, and are undergoing quarantine procedures.

The panda parents started their residency at the Madrid Zoo Aquarium of Spain in September 2007. Chulina, the older sister, was born in August 2016 in Spain, while male panda twins Jiu Jiu and You You were born in September 2021.

Generally, giant panda cubs born overseas are returned to China between two and four years old to avoid inbreeding during the reproductive period of four to six years old.

In line with the agreement between China and Spain, another pair of young pandas will be sent to Madrid to further the friendship of the two peoples built upon pandas.