Several thousand Japanese say goodbye to two pandas

(Keystone-ATS) Several thousand Japanese flocked to a Tokyo zoo on Saturday to say goodbye to a pair of aging pandas before their return to China, AFP noted. Many people were in tears.

Wearing T-shirts, umbrellas or hats bearing the image of the two ursids, visitors shed tears, took selfies and greeted Ri Ri and Shin Shin at the Ueno Zoological Garden, which they must leave on Sunday.

More than 2,000 people waited in long lines outside the zoo on Saturday morning, some even spending the entire night there, armed with blankets and camping chairs.

Among them, Mayuko Sumida, 44, arrived around 10 p.m. on Friday. “I’m overwhelmed,” she explained to AFP after admiring the duo one last time, a source of “comfort and smile” for her.

These plush-looking animals are popular around the world and are loaned by China to foreign zoos as part of what has been dubbed “panda diplomacy” to foster ties with countries.

Almost 15 years in Japan

Ri Ri and Shin Shin, who arrived at Ueno Zoo in 2011, were scheduled to stay there until February 2026, but Japan and China eventually agreed that it would be best for the pandas, aged 19, to return to their country of origin due to their declining health.

Ri Ri and Shin Shin were “like sunshine to me.” When I look at their smiles, everything that worries me disappears,” said Machiko Seki, aged around 50, crying.

The couple gave birth in 2017 to Xiang Xiang, a female who was the zoo’s first baby panda since 1988, then to twins in 2021.

Xiang Xiang’s return to China in 2023 saddened many fans and was broadcast live on television.

According to the conservation organization WWF, there are around 1,860 giant pandas remaining in the wild, mainly in the bamboo forests of China’s mountainous regions. In addition, around 600 live in captivity on the planet in centers dedicated to pandas, zoos or animal parks.