Bao Bao, the three-year-old female panda in the National Zoo in Washington DC will be sent back to China on February 21, the zoo said on Monday.
According to an agreement between China and the U.S., all panda cubs born in the U.S. must return to China at around four years old.
Bao Bao, which will be four on August 23, will participate in a breeding program as she has reached sexual maturity to help bring in new generations.
The zoo said Bao Bao will travel via FedEx "Panda Express" from Dulles International Airport with one of her keepers from the National Zoo, who will help her settle down in her new home in China.
Bao Bao will be sent to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in the southwestern province of Sichuan as she lands in Chengdu next week.
Many panda lovers in Washington DC came to the zoo to say goodbye to Bao Bao before she sets off for China next Tuesday.
