What it takes to help two Very Important Pandas relocate from Sichuan to Hong Kong

On July 1 this year, as Hong Kong celebrated its 27th anniversary as a Special Administrative Region of China, the city’s government announced that Beijing had agreed to gift another pair of giant pandas to the city.

These two VIPs – Very Important Pandas – were recently relocated from Chengdu in Sichuan province to Hong Kong by Cathay Cargo. They are joining four other panda residents at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park: Le Le and Ying Ying, and their twin cubs born in August.

Meet the VIPs, aged five, who made their first flight in September when they were transported to Hong Kong. They flew on a Boeing 747 freighter operated by Cathay Cargo.

The air freight operator’s Cathay Live Animal solution has provided a menagerie of guests with an efficient and comfortable journey, including monkeys, alpacas, otters, day-old chicks and, of course, giant pandas.

The pandas flew from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, one of the city’s two international airports and to which Cathay Cargo operates freighter flights. Reflecting how valued these VIPs are, the timing of the flight had to be arranged well in advance to ensure that all parties involved in the relocation would run this operation like a well-oiled machine.

The pandas’ special flight was scheduled to depart at 8.55am – a later time than usual for Cathay Cargo flights from Chengdu – and arrive in Hong Kong around midday.

Road transportation from the Dujiangyan base to the Chengdu airport also called for careful planning to guarantee the bears’ comfort. In addition, liaison work was done with Ocean Park and the panda research centre in Chengdu to make sure that the “transit habitats” in which each of the VIPs would travel met International Air Transport Association (lATA) requirements for live animal transport containers and were suitable for flying.

As the two passengers are of a protected species under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), a great deal of documentation had to be taken care of at least 48 hours before they headed to the airport. Paperwork included export and import licences as well as health certificates – which, like an entry visa for human travellers, required a thorough check.

Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo was in constant communication with Hong Kong’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, Ocean Park, the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas, and the aircraft disinfection team in Chengdu prior to loading the pandas on the flight, to make certain that not a single detail was left unclear.

Ahead of the trip, Cathay Cargo’s 100-strong team conducted a specially arranged rehearsal of the flight, to ensure that everything and everyone would be ready for the big day. Teams reviewed the loading plan and all safety measures on board the aircraft, including the straps and locks used to secure the transit habitats.

Contingency plans for different weather and road-traffic scenarios were also mapped out for the transfer from the Dujiangyan base to the airport in Chengdu.

In July, the panda nannies – staff members from Ocean Park – flew to Sichuan to start taking care of the two VIPs and preparing for their relocation. During those months leading up to the journey, the nannies focused on bonding with the bears and getting to know their characteristics, food preferences and behaviour.

The nannies were also tasked with introducing the pandas to bamboo from Guangzhou, which is what the new Hong Kong residents would be eating every day. It was a gradual transition, with the pandas first eating a mix of the new greens and the Sichuan bamboo that they usually ate at the Dujiangyan base, so that they could be fully adapted to their new diet by the time they settled in Hong Kong.

Fresh bamboo needed to be packed for the trip as well, to provide the VIPs with an in-flight snack. It had to be declared to customs on both the mainland and Hong Kong sides of the border to facilitate a smooth delivery.

The VIPs are particular about the temperature of their surroundings, with the ideal range being 20 to 25 degrees Celsius (68 to 77 Fahrenheit).

This was communicated to the pilots of the Cathay Cargo flight, who set the proper temperature in the main deck of the aircraft where the VIPs would be resting.

A detailed loading plan had to be in place ahead of the departure day, to ensure that the VIPs were put on board the aircraft in a speedy manner and were also the first to disembark upon arrival.

Details such as the most favourable parking bay for the aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport were also included in this plan.

These VIPs have international standing, especially under Cites, so a stack of paperwork that included health certificates, permits, and export and import licences had to be completed for Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department as well as the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department before the flight.

Giant pandas need 4,300 to 5,500 calories of food per day to survive. For humans, that would equal 20 bowls of rice or 20 hamburgers. But because pandas subsist almost entirely on bamboo, they must consume 12kg to 38kg of it every day. So, even though the VIPs’ flight took less than three hours, some bamboo snacks still had to be ready on the aircraft.

For humans, that would equal 20 bowls of rice or 20 hamburgers. But because pandas subsist almost entirely on bamboo, they must consume 12kg to 38kg of it every day. So, even though the VIPs’ flight took less than three hours, some bamboo snacks still had to be ready on the aircraft.

At 3am on the morning of the flight, the VIPs were all packed and ready to go. It took around 50 minutes for the transfer to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Throughout the ride, the temperature inside the vehicle was kept at the pandas’ optimal range of 20 to 25 Celsius, while the nannies made sure that the bears enjoyed maximum comfort.

At the airport, one of Cathay Cargo’s fleet of 20 Boeing 747 freighters was waiting to welcome the VIPs, with the cabin temperature already adjusted to the desired range. Because of the outdoor heat – and the pandas’ preference for cooler weather – the team at the Chengdu airport also needed to promptly get the VIPs moved into the main deck of the aircraft to protect them from the temperature difference.

Pandas are typically shy and prefer quiet environments, therefore arrangements were made for “last-minute boarding” so that these passengers would be last to get on the aircraft and spend minimal time putting up with the noise on the tarmac.

The Cathay Cargo origin team in Chengdu had prepared notes for the pilots in advance, to ensure that they knew all about the two VIPs and how to meet their specific needs throughout the flight, including monitoring and controlling the cabin temperature with the cockpit console, and making the landing as gentle and quiet as possible. The team also stayed in close communication with its counterpart in Hong Kong, providing real-time updates to help the destination team be fully prepared to welcome the pandas upon landing.

The bears were given two “seats” on the main deck close to the door, because they not only needed to be the last to board, they also had to be the first to disembark in order to begin the final leg of their journey to Ocean Park in a timely manner.

Cathay Cargo has 20 Boeing 747 freighters. The largest model of these aircraft, the B747-8F, is designed to hold up to 46 pallets stacked with shipments.

The nose door on the main deck of each freighter measures 264cm (104 inches) wide and 249cm tall, while the side door is 340cm by 305cm. The VIPs boarded via the side door.

Nose door

Side door

The VIPs’ flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong was specially scheduled for an 8.55am departure and 11.35am arrival – later than usual – at the request of the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau to facilitate the joint effort involving multiple parties that included governments on both sides of the border, Cathay Cargo, Ocean Park and the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Pandas.

Scheduled departure8.55am

Scheduled arrival11.35am

The pilots on the flight had been thoroughly briefed on the VIPs, and made sure that the main deck of the aircraft was kept at 20 to 25 Celsius the entire time the bears were on board. They also manoeuvred for a soft landing to avoid startling the pandas.

Passenger seats are available on the upper deck of the Boeing 747 freighters, which is where the VIPs’ team of veterinary professionals and panda specialists were sitting during the flight.

The pandas were offloaded from the freighter after a 20-minute inspection by staff from Ocean Park and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.

The Cathay Cargo team moved swiftly and carefully to get the pandas’ transit habitats unloaded from the aircraft and loaded onto a waiting air-conditioned, panda-themed truck. To maintain the bears’ comfort, the job had to be completed within another 15 minutes so that the VIPs could get to their new home to rest as soon as possible.

Motorcyclists from the Force Escort Group of the Hong Kong Police Force set off at 12.30pm to lead the VIPs’ 40km ride from the airport to Ocean Park, which would take about an hour.

After everyone at the welcoming ceremony waved goodbye to the VIPs, the Cathay Cargo freighter underwent complete sanitisation in preparation for its next scheduled flight, possibly with other animal guests on board.

After the VIPs complete another month of quarantine and then spend several weeks becoming familiar with their new environment, they can be introduced to the Hong Kong public. Their debut is expected to happen by Christmas. The pandas will be living in Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures, a habitat within Ocean Park that was recently upgraded. It features brand-new amenities such as climbing structures made of hard wood and glass-fibre reinforced concrete, which have been designed to provide a comfortable activity space for the two new residents.

The pandas will be given new names for this new chapter of their lives. Hong Kong held a naming contest in October to gather suggestions from the public, and a government panel of appointed members will make the final decision on the bears’ names.