Panda Express

Workers secure the Federal Express cargo plane, called the "FedEx Panda Express", as it arrives at Atlanta's Hartsfield Jackson-International Airport Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, to take Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, to China. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. The two giant pandas will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land.

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Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta is shown to the media prior to her departure from Atlanta to China on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, aboard a Federal Express cargo plane called the "FedEx Panda Express." Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda and will be accompanied on the trip by Heather Roberts, left, a giant panda keeper at Zoo Atlanta. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. Experts believe there are only 1,600 giant pandas that remain in the wild.

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Mei Lan, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, is lifted onto a Federal Express cargo plane, called the "FedEx Panda Express", prior to her departure from Atlanta to China Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo. The two giant pandas will become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land.

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Mei Lan, in the smaller crate, a 3-year-old female giant panda from Zoo Atlanta, is delivered to a Federal Express cargo plane, called the "FedEx Panda Express", prior to her departure from Atlanta to China Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Mei Lan is Zoo Atlanta's firstborn giant panda. Before heading to China, the plane will make a stop in Washington, where it will pick up Tai Shan, a 4-year-old male giant panda born at the National Zoo.

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Panda keeper Laurie Thomspon touches the nose of giant panda Tai Shan while saying goodbye just before he leaves the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010.

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Giant panda Tai Shan waits to loaded onto a truck, prior to being loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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Panda keepers and zoo staff say goodbye to giant panda Tai Shan just before he leaves the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010.

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Four and a half-year-old giant panda Tai Shan is loaded onto the "FedEx Panda Express" to leave the National Zoo for China in Washington, on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010. Two giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet Thursday to become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land.

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Tai Shan, the giant panda from Washington, rides in his crate to be loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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Giant panda Mei Lan of Atlanta is secured inside a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4,2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan on a cargo plane at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va., Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, before heading to China. Two giant pandas born in American zoos were headed to China by special cargo jet Thursday to become part of a breeding program in their endangered species' native land.

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Trainer Nicole Meese feeds giant panda Tai Shan as he waits to be loaded onto a cargo plane and shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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Nicole Meese sits with and feeds giant panda Tai Shan of Washington after being loaded onto a cargo plane to be shipped back to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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People watch as the plane carrying giant pandas Mei Lan of Atlanta, and Tai Shan of Washington, taxi for departure for a trip to China, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010, at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va.

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