MEMPHIS -- The Memphis Zoo in the U.S. state of Tennessee has bid farewell to giant panda Ya Ya who will return to her homeland by the end of April.

At the farewell party held on April 8, Ya Ya was seen enjoying the delicious bamboos with a good appetite. But her hair and skin was still in a bad condition.

"We are very sad to see her go but we're also very happy for her new life in China. We're celebrating 20 years of pandas being in Memphis," said Matt Thompson, president of the zoo.

Local reports say hundreds of people attended the farewell party at the zoo's China exhibit, where they said goodbye to Ya Ya, signed letters, and watched cultural performances.
The China exhibit has now become a most visited site in the zoo. After Ya Ya returns home, the zoo will continue to promote Chinese culture here, said the president.

"We want to build something about China that we enjoy celebrating culture. [We're] proud of this exhibit. You know, there's been over 20 million people. If you walk into our zoo you can't miss the fact, oh that's Suzhou, oh, that's Beijing," said Thompson.
Photos released earlier on social media showed Ya Ya's skinny body and patchy hair. It has raised concerns that Ya Ya had been mistreated, which was denied by the zoo.

An expert team from China was dispatched to the zoo to inspect the physical condition of Ya Ya. After reviewing the physical examination report and monthly health report, they concluded that except for the hair loss caused by skin disease, Ya Ya has a good appetite, functioning digestive system and a stable body weight. They also made recommendations and requirements to the U.S. side on the breeding and care of Ya Ya.

According to Thompson, experts from China said Ya Ya looks very good as an older panda.
"They see our program from the bamboo how they're fed, how the pandas look training, enrichment, research, conservation. And every time without exception, they walk away saying you have a great program,"

Ya Ya went to the Memphis Zoo in 2003 with male giant panda Le Le under a partnership between the zoo, located in Midtown, Memphis, and the Chinese Association of Zoological Gardens (CAZG).

The Memphis Zoo announced in December 2022 that the giant panda loan agreement with the CAZG would end in 2023.