Pair of pandas in Tokyo to return to China August 31, 2024

The giant pandas Bi Li and Xian Nü at Ueno Zoo in Japan. The giant panda Xian Nü Photo: IC

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Pair of pandas in Tokyo to return to China

Two elderly pandas from a Tokyo zoo will be returned to China next month to receive medical care, the city's governor said, with visitors queuing on Saturday to see the pair for the last time.

The pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin arrived at Ueno Zoo in 2011 and were due to remain there until February 2026, but Japan and China agreed that it would be best for the 19-year-olds to return to their home country.

“Symptoms such as high blood pressure have been observed since two years ago. They are currently taking medication and undergoing tests, but there has been no significant improvement,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike told reporters on Friday.

“I know some people will be sad to see them go, but when we think of the health of the beloved pandas first, it would be better to see them off warmly.”

The final exhibition is scheduled for September 28, but local media reported on Saturday that people were already lining up to take one last look at the pandas.

The pair gave birth in 2017 to cub Xiang Xiang - the zoo's first baby panda since 1988, which became a major attraction - and also twins in 2021.

Many fans shed tears when Xiang Xiang returned to China last year, and her departure was broadcast live on local television.

The black and white mammals are hugely popular around the world, and China lends them out as part of a “panda diplomacy” program to promote ties with foreign countries.

It is estimated that there are still 1,860 giant pandas left in the wild, mainly in bamboo forests in the mountains of China, according to the environmental group WWF.

And there are around 600 in captivity in panda centers, zoos, and wildlife parks around the world.

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