In 2003, Giant pandas YaYa and LeLe travelled to Memphis Zoo in Tennessee US, as lovely, impressionable little furballs. After 18 years serving the zoo, today, they look extremely malnourished and sickly. YaYa, the female panda’s fur has been shedding profusely. Yet Memphis Zoo claims they are perfectly healthy.

I am asking you, my fellow animal lovers, to encourage the Memphis Zoo CEO Jim Dean to return YaYa and LeLe back to their hometown where food is abundant and medical care is accessible.

From 2007 to 2012, the zoo performed 4 artificial inseminations on Yaya, none of which were successful, possibly causing irreversible health damage to her. As early as 2008, YaYa was already shedding patches of fur. 13 years later, YaYa’s shedding has spread throughout her entire body.

Beijing Zoo has confirmed that as early as 2014, YaYa has parasite infections that are causing her skin disease. Yet Memphis Zoo continues to claim that YaYa has a seasonal hormone fluctuation that causes hair thinning and that she looks thin due to her small frame. They also told fans YaYa is just “not photogenic”. Both the Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums who credited the zoo stated that “she is perfectly healthy!”

Panda’s diet is 99% bamboo and only eat certain species. The Zoo only provide 4 species from its 10 acres bamboo farm for BOTH pandas. Research has shown that at least 17 acres (100 mu) bamboo is sustainable for ONE panda.

From 2013 - 2016, Memphis Zoo’s bamboo were sold to Toronto Zoo. This no doubt caused shortage, since Memphis Zoo asked for bamboo donations from public.

The bamboo quality is also questionable, Yaya LeLe often rejected the bamboo provided. Even the panda in Toronto Zoo rejected the bamboo purchased from Memphis zoo.

YaYa and LeLe not only suffer physically from disease and hunger, which is already incredibly heartbreaking, they also suffer psychologically from being caged in a small “den” every day for up to 18-HOURS! In the past 4 weeks, YaYa was allowed to go outdoors only 4 times! Consequently, both YaYa and LeLe show severe signs of stereotypical behaviours, an irreversible mental impair caused by abnormal environment.

These unspeakable sufferings of YaYa and LeLe was not just a recent discovery but have lasted for more than a DECADE! Years of apparent neglect on pandas as well as other animals, and the lack of transparency seems to indicate that the zoo has little interest, if any, on animal welfare.

We ask you to encourage Memphis Zoo CEO Jim Dean to send YaYa and LeLe back to their homeland China immediately! They have already sacrificed their entire lives to entertain humans. Now they are senior pandas reaching to the end of their life span, YaYa and LeLe deserve a retirement life without sufferings!

Please sign & share this petition to help bring YaYa and LeLe one step closer to a healthier and happier life. On behalf of Yaya and LeLe, we sincerely thank you for your support!

For detail on YaYa and LeLe’s condition, please visit this article

To find out more ways to voice your concern, please visit Pandavoices.org

*DISCLAIMER: Any monetary donation made when signing this petition goes to Change.org. We currently have no donation activities. All the information provided by Panda Voices and its affiliated media channels is published in good faith. We encourage viewers to exercise independent judgment and due diligence.

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