First giant panda born in France heads to China, given warm farewell

STORY: First giant panda born in France heads to China, given warm farewell DATELINE: July 26, 2023 LENGTH: 00:01:59 LOCATION: Paris CATEGORY: SOCIETY SHOTLIST: 1. various of the giant panda leaving France 2. SOUNDBITE 1 (French): MARILYS, Visitor 3. SOUNDBITE 2 (French): DAMIEN, Visitor 4. various of the giant panda in the zoo 5. SOUNDBITE 3 (French): RODOLPHE DELORD, Beauval Zoo's general director 6. SOUNDBITE 4 (French): DELPHINE POUVREAU, Manager of the koala and panda division, Beauval Zoo STORYLINE: Yuan Meng, the first giant panda born in France, has left the country for China. He represents an "absolutely unbreakable friendship" between the two countries, said French first lady Brigitte Macron. She saw him off at the airport. Visitors at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, gathered Tuesday morning to bid farewell to Yuan Meng ahead of his departure back to China, 10 days before the giant panda's sixth birthday. Waving flags with Yuan Meng's photos, his fans were queuing in the cold