Two giant pandas living at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan returned to China.
According to local public broadcaster NHK, giant pandas ‘Liri’ (male) and ‘Sing Sing’ (female) left Ueno Zoo early on the 29th and headed to China.
Lili and Xingxing, born in China in 2005, were brought in on loan by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 2011 for joint research on giant panda conservation and breeding with the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Society. While living in Tokyo, this panda couple gave birth to three pandas, including ‘Xiang Xiang’, ‘Xiao Xiao’, and ‘Lei Lei’. Xiangxiang was returned to China in February last year.
Riri and Sing Sing are 19 years old this year, which is equivalent to 60 years old in human years. The two pandas were scheduled to be returned to China in February 2026 according to an agreement between the two countries. However, starting in 2022, symptoms of health deterioration due to old age, such as high blood pressure, began to appear. In the end, I decided that I needed treatment and had to return to China earlier than scheduled. After arriving in China, the two pandas will enter the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center.
NHK reported, “When Riri and Sing Sing left the zoo around 4 a.m. that day, dozens of fans gathered there, taking photos and waving hands, expressing regret over their separation.” Some citizens shed tears while wearing black clothes.
The zoo explained that about 2,000 citizens visited the zoo the day before, which was the last public opening day for Lili and Singxing before their return to China.
Hyewon Lee, Donga.com Reporter [email protected]
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2024-10-01 04:34:26