ROISSY, France, Jan. 12, 2012—FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world’s largest express transportation company, has revealed that the specially- chartered Boeing 777F flight carrying two giant pandas to their new home in France’s ZooParc de Beauval will also be carrying one other Very Important Package—the well-wishes of more than 1,500 local schoolchildren.
Called “From China with Love,” FedEx Express China invited employees and schoolchildren from the Sichuan Normal University Experimental Foreign Language School, Primary School Affiliated to Chengdu Qingyang Experimental Middle School and Shanghai Pudong Foreign Language Primary School to share handwritten drawings and messages that will be carried onboard the special “FedEx Panda Express” flight on Sunday, Jan. 15.
Ni-Ni Zhao, operations manager, FedEx China, explained, “The FedEx Panda Express flight has generated tremendous delight among our employees and school children. We wanted to provide a forum for the children to share their well-wishes for Huan Huan and Yuan Zi as they set out on their journey for their new homes in France. The artwork is a wonderful testament to the children’s affection for the pandas.”
More than 1,500 children from the schools were involved in creating artwork and handwritten messages wishing Huan Huan and Yuan Zi good luck in their new home. ZooParc de Beauval will display a selection of the images in the pandas’ new habitat.
Three-year-old female panda Huan Huan and three-year-old male panda Yuan Zi are due to depart on the “FedEx Panda Express” Sunday morning Chengdu time. The pandas’ arrival marks the first time in more than 10 years that giant pandas will reside in France.
To follow Huan Huan and Yuan Zi’s journey on board the “FedEx Panda Express”, visit: http://news.fedex.com/PandaExpress2012, http://blog.fedex.com/panda-express-france or http://pandas.zoobeauval.com.
Extensive b-roll and images will be available on arrival of the pandas on Sunday. Jan. 15. Please contact the FedEx Media team at fedexpandas@ketchumpleon.fr / +33(0)1 53 32 56 88 for more information.
FedEx Express Transports Many Unusual Shipments
FedEx Express has a long history of transporting rare and delicate cargo. In December 2011, FedEx Express transported Tian Tian, a female panda and Yang Guang, a male panda to Edinburgh Zoo in the United Kingdom. In February 2010, FedEx Express transported Tai Shan, a male panda born at the National Zoo in Washington D.C., U.S., and Mei Lan, a male panda born at Zoo Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., back to China. In 2003, FedEx Express transported two giant pandas from China to the Memphis Zoo, Tennessee, U.S. In 2000, FedEx Express transported Tai Shan’s parents from China to Washington D.C.’s National Zoo.
Exotic cargo transported by FedEx Express has included polar bears, white tigers, elephants, penguins, mountain lions, gorillas, eagles and even a 13-foot tiger shark used in filming the movie “Jaws.”
Other unusual international cargo transported by FedEx includes a windmill from Denmark, the Ryder Cup and a vintage Jaguar Le Mans car worth more than £1 million.
About ZooParc de Beauval
Classed amongst the 15 most beautiful zoos in the world and home to the largest collection of animals in France (4,600 animals), the ZooParc de Beauval is heavily involved in the protection of endangered species, hosting rare and unique animals in France such as manatees, koalas or okapis, to name but a few. The zoo is well known for the quality of its facilities and also for its high number of births (approximately 350 each year), which is a sign of hope for species threatened with extinction in the wild.
Classed as “endangered” by the IUCN red list of threatened species (International Union for the Conservation of Nature), the giant panda is a universal symbol for the conservation of endangered species. The giant pandas will represent a very important flagship for Beauval, as it will not only attract many visitors, but it will be a living message and proof of wildlife protection. To find out more, please visit: www.zoobeauval.com
About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is the world’s largest express transportation company, providing fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed delivery of time-sensitive shipments, by a definite time and date with a money-back guarantee.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual revenues of $41 billion, the company offers integrated business applications through operating companies competing collectively and managed collaboratively, under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its more than 290,000 team members to remain “absolutely, positively” focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. For more information, visit news.fedex.com.
About the Boeing 777 Freighter
The Boeing Company produces a complete line of commercial freighter airplanes, including the 777 Freighter. The Boeing 777 Freighter is the world’s largest and most capable twin-engine freighter. The unsurpassed efficiency and flexibility of the 777 Freighter has resulted in a significant number of customer orders, with FedEx Express as the largest customer. FedEx Express has taken delivery of 14 Boeing 777 Freighters and has orders for 31 more.
Note to Editors
For further information contact the FedEx Media team at: fedexpandas@ketchumpleon.fr
Press: Anne Sophie Bara +33 (0)6 77 17 23 77 anne-sophie.bara@ketchumpleon.fr
TV/Radio: Severine Randjelovic +33 (0)6 99 18 18 82 severine.randjelovic@ketchumpleon.fr
For more information about Huan Huan, Yuan Zi or the Beauval ZooParc, please contact:
ZooParc de Beauval: Priscille Lacoste / + 33 (0)6 62 25 51 60 / pl-communication@allegria.fr