Lumi and Pyryr, two pandas who have been residents of Ahtari Zoo (Finland) since January 2018, were initially due to remain at the facility until 2033. But the animals loaned by China will ultimately return to their country of origin sooner than expected.
They will indeed leave Europe next November, Reuters reported on Tuesday. The reason is inflation, which has made the costs of maintaining the two mammals incompatible with the animal park’s budget.
Disappointing ticket sales
The establishment explained that the structures to accommodate the pandas had cost it 8 million euros, to which is added 1.5 million euros each year for food and maintenance. However, the number of visitors, whose influx was supposed to allow the zoo to cover its costs, was ultimately fewer than expected. The health crisis linked to Covid-19 and the drop in purchasing power partly explain the phenomenon.
This is why, despite aid provided by China and after the Finnish government refused to provide a financial boost to the park, Lumi and Pyryr will be placed in quarantine and then returned to China. The pandas had arrived in Finland after an official visit to the country by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Their return, finalized after three years of negotiations, should not affect diplomatic relations between the two states, a statement from the Chinese embassy in Helsinki (Finland) suggested.
