A zoo in Memphis, Tennessee, is returning two giant pandas that had been on loan from China for 20 years, prompting celebrations by animal advocates who said the health of the animals had deteriorated due to neglect.
The announcement on Wednesday came after months of criticism by In Defense of Animals and other advocacy groups that have accused the zoo of providing inadequate care to the pandas, Ya Ya and Le Le. Critics called on the zoo to provide them with better food, more uncaged time and ultimately a transfer to a panda refuge.
