China Southern Airlines has mounted an unusual mercy mission, airlifting eight giant pandas from the devastated Wolong region of China after the recent earthquake.
The emergency flight, operated with a Boeing 747-400 freighter, took off from Chengdu with the pandas and a team of specialist vets, later landing in Beijing.
The pandas were transported to the National Zoo for healing and breeding purposes, and to serve as an inspiration for all the Chinese people who were affected by the disaster.
The 8.0-scaled earthquake destroyed the Panda Protection Centre’s enclosures at the Wolong Nature Reserve, leaving two pandas missing and the rest in temporary pens.
It is the deterioration of these living standards that has left many giant pandas suffering with symptoms including anxiety and loss of appetite.