Bye bye Bei Bei: Washington bids farewell to last panda cub

He was born in Washington and took his first steps in the US capital, but at age four, it's time to head"home" -- to China.

Kids can write postcards for the panda, which will go with him to China, watch zookeepers offer him special treats, attend Q&A sessions with zoo personnel or just watch him play.Marty Dearie is one of Bei Bei's keepers. He saw the male cub born in August 2015 on the"panda cam" -- which is trained on the zoo's pandas around the clock. Bei Bei, who now weighs a healthy 250 pounds , lives with his parents, dad Tian Tian and mom Mei Xiang.

For several weeks, Bei Bei's keepers have been training him to sit in the crate in which he will travel to China on the nonstop 16-hour flight from Washington to Chengdu.A keeper and a veterinarian will make the trip with Bei Bei. The National Zoo staff will prepare a special stash of treats for him -- like most giant pandas, he eats constantly.

"Bei Bei and his 'luggage' will be the only shipment on the aircraft," said FedEx spokeswoman Rae Lyn Rushing.

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