The giant panda pair, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, will be leaving Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Sunday to return to China. The pandas, who are both 19 years old, arrived at the zoo in 2011 and have since become a popular attraction. Although their first cub died shortly after birth, they successfully raised three more cubs. Many fans have been visiting the zoo daily since the announcement of their departure on August 30th. The zoo has been holding an exhibit showcasing memories of the pandas and collecting messages from fans for display on its website.
On Saturday, there will be a final opportunity to view the pandas for lottery winners during a reserved 30-minute timeslot at 3 p.m. However, with over 12,000 people applying for only 200 spots through the lottery system, many were left disappointed.
Visitors have expressed their gratitude towards Ri Ri and Shin Shin before their departure. One visitor from Nagoya said it was memorable to see them one last time and hoped they would be fine in China. At JR Ueno Station near the zoo, an electronic signboard wishes them well while commemorative train tickets featuring photos of the pandas are being sold by Keisei Electric Railway Co.
Ri Ri and Shin Shin’s arrival at Ueno Zoo in February 2011 marked a significant event as there had been no panda at the zoo since Ling Ling died three years earlier. Despite challenges in breeding pandas due to their short mating period and solitary nature when not in heat, officials successfully facilitated natural mating between Ri Ri and Shin Shin in June 2017.
In recent years, both pandas have shown signs of health issues such as repeated vomiting by Ri Ri since 2022 and symptoms of high blood pressure starting September 2023. As China owns the pair with their loan period set to expire in February 2026, it was decided that returning them to their birthplace would provide better treatment options.
After making their final public appearance on Saturday, Ri Ri and Shin Shin will depart from Ueno Zoo by truck on Sunday before boarding a chartered flight from Narita Airport bound for a panda protection facility in Sichuan Province.
Once they leave Japan, only twin pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will remain at Ueno Zoo until February 20th when their loan period also expires. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike expressed her willingness to continue efforts preserving wild animals through projects like this joint breeding program with China.
