Japan Tokyo zoo brings old pandas back to China for treatment

With a heavy heart, the zoo in the Japanese capital Tokyo is parting with two ageing giant pandas: according to Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike, the pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin will be returned to China for medical treatment at the end of September.

Numerous panda fans flocked to the Ueno Zoo on Saturday to say goodbye to the black and white bears.

The pandas, which have been living at the Ueno Zoo since 2011, were actually supposed to stay there until February 2026. However, Japan and China have now agreed to return the 19-year-old animals to their home country ahead of schedule.

High blood pressure

The pandas had been suffering from symptoms such as high blood pressure for two years, Koike said at a press conference on Friday. They were being treated with medication and regularly examined, but so far there had been "no significant improvement". "I know that some people will be sad," said the governor. However, as the health of the "beloved pandas" was paramount, it was "best to bid them a fond farewell".

The pandas are to be seen for the last time at Ueno Zoo on September 28. However, local media already reported long queues in front of the panda enclosure on Saturday.

Departure broadcast live on television

Ri Ri and Shin Shin came to Tokyo in 2011. The couple had their first offspring in 2017: Xiang Xiang was the first panda cub to be born at Ueno Zoo since 1988 - and was therefore a huge attraction. Shin Shin then gave birth to twins in 2021. When panda Xiang Xiang returned to China last year, many Japanese panda fans were heartbroken. Her departure was broadcast live on Japanese television.

China has been conducting so-called panda diplomacy for years in order to exert international influence. This involves loaning the coveted animals to zoos in other countries for several years. According to the environmental organization WWF, an estimated 1860 giant pandas still live in the wild, mainly in the bamboo forests of southwest China. Around 600 other specimens live in captivity in breeding centers, zoos and wildlife parks around the world.