International- Singapore's first giant panda cub, Le Le, traveled to China on Tuesday.
- The panda cub took a 4.5-hour-long flight to China via Singapore Airlines.
Singapore Airlines was given a monumental task in January: They were put in charge of sending Le Le, a 2.5-year-old giant panda cub, to China.
Born in August 2021, Le Le was Singapore's first giant panda cub. The cub's parents, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, traveled to Singapore on loan in 2012. Both pandas are set to return to China in 2027.
Le Le, however, has to be separated from his parents. Due to conservation concerns, China requires host countries to return any cubs born there.
The journey back home was a complicated one to execute.
"The Singapore Airlines team has spent the last five months poring through every little detail to prepare for this special flight," said Gajandran Sokayan, an assistant manager at the airline who oversees dangerous goods and special cargo.
Pre-flight preparation began back in December
Le Le made one last public appearance in Singapore on December 13 at River Wonders, Singapore's river-themed wildlife park. The cub went into quarantine for the big journey on December 14.
The zoo's team then used positive reinforcement training to familiarize the cub with a custom travel crate.
The crate was equipped with removable plywood boards for feedings and checks.
Getting to the airport while beating the Singaporean heat
On the day of the big move, Le Le's crate had to be transported from the zoo to the airport with an air-conditioned truck. The truck's temperature was kept between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius to keep things nice and cool for the furry traveler.
Riding safely on a pallet
After arriving at the airport, Le Le's crate had to be secured to a pallet before loading it onto the plane. This pallet also contained travel essentials for the giant panda cub. The total weight of the palletized crate was around 600 kilograms.
No boarding queues for this young traveler
The pallet was then loaded through the nose of SIA's Boeing 747-400F freighter aircraft. Like the reefer truck, the plane had to be pre-cooled one hour before boarding.
The pallet was then locked in position on the aircraft before takeoff to reduce movement during the flight.
Farewell little one
Le Le didn't travel alone — he was accompanied by a keeper and veterinarian from Singapore and a zookeeper from China.
The giant panda cub was also served a special in-flight meal during his journey — bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruit, pellets, and water.
SIA said in a press release on Wednesday that Le Le arrived safely in China on January 16. The panda cub is now being quarantined, and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will soon assign Le Le to a new, permanent home.