Chinese pandas Shin Shin and Ri Ri returned home after 13 years in Japan
Panda Shin Shin
Photo: Tokyo Zoological Park Society
Pandas Shin Shin and Ri Ri, who delighted visitors to Ueno Zoo in Tokyo for 13 years, have returned to China. The animals came to Japan back in 2011 and became a real consolation for the country, which has been recovering from a terrible earthquake and tsunami for several months.
About this writes Reuters.
A month ago, the zoo announced the return of the pandas to China for treatment. This news caused a real stir among the Japanese, who hurried to say goodbye to their pets.
The last day Japanese people could see Shin Shin and Ri Ri was August 28. However, their twins, born in 2021, will remain in Japan.
For many people in the country, Shin Shin and Ri Ri have become more than just animals. For example, the artist Hiyori Sakurai came to the zoo to see the pandas almost every Sunday and even on weekdays when she had the opportunity to take a day off.
“When I was having a hard time, I always came to Ri Ri and Shin Shin and they always cheered me upHiyori said.
Etsuko Tokuda, a 60-year-old entrepreneur, has been coming to the zoo every day since learning about the pandas’ return.
“Every day was important for me. I wanted to see them even when they were sleepingEtsuko admitted.
Despite the sadness of saying goodbye to the pandas, some Japanese still find solace in it.
“I’m a little relieved to think that Ri Ri and Shin Shin are going home together as a couple.” – says pensioner Harumi Iteguchi.
During the years of living in Japan, Chinese pandas have become “ambassadors of friendship” between countries, and the transfer of pandas to other countries has even been called “panda diplomacy”.
Earlier we told that the world’s oldest giant panda Ying Ying, who lives in the Hong Kong Zoo, became a mother for the first time. She had twins – a boy and a girl.
