The pandas have been in Canada since 2014.
The Calgary Zoo has announced its pandas must return to China.
The two pandas, Er Shun and Da Mao, have been at the Calgary Zoo since 2018, after spending their first several years abroad in Toronto. The pandas were slated to remain in Canada through at least 2023.
A shortage of bamboo is the cause of the decision, zoo officials say, noting that their regular shipments of bamboo dried up with worldwide reductions in air transportation. Calgary based WestJet was stepping in to assist though overall reductions of flights within Canada prevented it from effectively sourcing bamboo from Toronto.
Pandas consume around 40kg of bamboo each day.
“This was an incredibly difficult decision to make but the health and well-being of the animals we love and care for always comes first,” says Calgary Zoo President & CEO Dr. Clément Lanthier.
It is expected flight arrangements and permitting will take a few weeks to approve before the pandas return home. In the meantime, the PandaCam will continue to broadcast their antics from 9AM until 6PM, Mountain, each day.