Special delivery: US-born panda cub Bao Bao bound for China

WASHINGTON D.C. -- The National Zoo is preparing to pack up its American-born panda cub Bao Bao for a one-way flight to China.

Bao Bao is scheduled to depart the National Zoo on Tuesday morning and travel to Washington Dulles International Airport in northern Virginia, where she'll board a special FedEx plane.

She'll be the only panda on the plane, traveling with a keeper and a veterinarian. In preparation for the trip, keepers have packed Bao Bao's favorite foods, including bamboo, apples and sweet potatoes.

Fans will be able to watch her departure from the zoo and airport on the zoo's Facebook page.

1:30 p.m. EST | Facebook Live: Bao Bao at Dulles Airport

Tune in to the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Facebook page to watch as Bao Bao departs Dulles International Airport on the "FedEx Panda Express," a custom-decaled 777F aircraft.

Bao Bao delighted the zoo and panda fans when she was born Aug. 23, 2013. With Bao Bao's departure, the National Zoo will have three remaining pandas.