This photo taken on April 27, 2023 shows giant panda Ya Ya at a quarantine site in east China's Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

Female giant panda Ya Ya arrived in Shanghai from the United States at 4:26 p.m. (Beijing Time) on Thursday, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Accompanied by veterinarians and other related workers, Ya Ya is now heading to a special quarantine site set up by the Shanghai Zoo, where she will stay for a month.

The zoo has prepared abundant bamboo and supplementary foods for the 23-year-old panda. An expert team from the Beijing Zoo will stay at the quarantine site to attend to her needs during the period.

The team will provide nursing, health monitoring, diagnosis and treatment for the aging panda to help her adapt to life back home.

Ya Ya was born at the Beijing Zoo on Aug. 3, 2000. She and fellow giant panda Le Le arrived at the Memphis Zoo in April 2003 as envoys of friendship, and they were warmly welcomed.

Sadly, Le Le died of heart disease in February this year, ahead of the pair's scheduled return to China. The remains of the 25-year-old panda were repatriated on the same flight as Ya Ya today.

To make preparations for Ya Ya's return, a veterinarian and a panda keeper from the Beijing Zoo arrived at the Memphis Zoo last month. They worked with experts from the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens who had arrived earlier to familiarize themselves with Ya Ya's habits and feeding conditions. 

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