Beloved Giant Panda Ya Ya Returns Home to China After Two Decades in U.S.

Ya Ya, a giant panda, left the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee for China after spending 20 years there under a loan agreement.
Ya Ya's fate became entangled in tensions between the U.S. and China, with some citing mistreatment allegations against the Memphis Zoo.
Ya Ya was born in Beijing in 2000 and arrived in the U.S. in 2003, where she lived with another panda named Le Le until Le Le's death in February.
The Memphis Zoo threw a farewell party for Ya Ya, who was instrumental in conservation and research efforts.
Giant pandas can live up to 38 years in captivity, and there are more than 1,800 giant pandas left in the world.