Female giant panda Ya Ya is pictured at the Memphis Zoo in Memphis, the United States, April 8, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

WASHINGTON - Giant panda Ya Ya is about to return to China from the United States after a 20-year loan for joint research and conservation project, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

In December, Memphis Zoo in Tennessee announced that it would return Ya Ya, who arrived in the US in 2003.

The zoo hosted a farewell party for the 23-year-old female panda on April 8 and hundreds of people attended the event, Xinhua News Agency reported

China has prepared to welcome back Ya Ya and experts from the Beijing Zoo arrived in the US in March to learn about her habits and feeding situation from the zoo staff members.

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Yaya is consuming biscuits provided by China while waiting for the return so that her digestive system can adapt. At the same time, the breeders have trained her to adapt to the environment in the transport cage for a smooth journey, Xinhua News Agency reported.

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In January, Chinese netizens showed their concern for Ya Ya as she looks skinny.

In response, the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens said in an announcement that Giant panda Ya Ya has been well cared for since being lent to the Memphis Zoo in the United States in 2003, and no signs of neglect have been found, based on videos of the giant panda, monthly health reports and annual physical examinations.

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In 2006, Ya Ya began to lightly shed fur, and the situation worsened in 2014. Experts from the Memphis Zoo and China adopted many treatment options but didn't get good results, it said.