After a long wait, the famous Bao Bao Panda finally landed at her new home China on early Wednesday morning. Abroad on the special cargo aircraft, the US-born Panda arrived at the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport around 5:59 a.m. EST.

Bao Bao ate, drank, and slept normally during the 16-hour flight, according to a statement issued by Smithsonian's National Zoo, where this Panda had been living for the past three years.

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The panda's keeper Marty Dearie, who was on a flight along with Dr. Katharine, said; "Bao Bao was a real champion during the flight."     

The Dujiangyan Panda Base will be the new home of this high profile guest. But this will be her temporary home where she will be going through a month long quarantine process. Here she will be living in a 100-square meter enclosure that has been specially prepared for her and will be inclusive of both indoor and outdoor play areas.

The Chinese keeper will continuously keep an eye on Bao Bao's diet, activities, and health during this month-long process. But since this American-born Panda does not understand Chinese gestures and commands, the accompanying keeper Mr. Dearie will stay at the Dujiangyan base until she starts getting accustomed to Chinese gestures.

The Chinese citizens will get to watch Bao Bao Panda only after she completes the quarantine process. She will be shifted to a zoo for public display but is still not known at which zoo she will be kept.  

Bao Bao, which means precious or treasure, is the 11^th panda to born oversees and return to China. She was born in March 2013 at Washington's Smithsonian wildlife park where she was living with her younger sibling Bei Bei and her parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian.

Bao Bao's departure from Smithsonian Wildlife Park was widely covered by the American media, reflecting this rare animal's widespread popularity across the country. She is one of the only 2,000 pandas alive across the world was amongst the handful of pandas living in the United States.

China's Ambassador to the US Cui Tiankai arrived at the zoo to receive Bao Bao.              

TagsBao Bao Panda, Panda, china, China Panda