Photos: National Zoo says goodbye to giant pandas

Returning to China A crate carrying Panda Mei Xiang is moved out of the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC, on November 8, 2023. All three of the zoo's pandas are leaving for China, bringing at least a temporary end to a decades-old connection between the cuddly animal and the US capital. And while the pandas' departure had been expected due to contractual obligations, many can't help but see the shift as reflective of the growing strains between Beijing and Washington. (Photo by Stefani Reynolds / AFP) (Photo by STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) (STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)