28-06-2025
Four giant pandas leave Japanese theme park for new home in China
Four female giant pandas have left a theme park in the western Japanese prefecture of Wakayama for their new home in China.
Rauhin and her daughters Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin are being transferred from Adventure World in the town of Shirahama to China as the contract for a bilateral joint-conservation project is set to expire shortly.
On Saturday, the pandas were put into four separate cages, and loaded onto two trucks. They were not shown to the public to ensure their well-being and safety. The operator of the park said the animals were in good shape and were munching on bamboo as usual.
Around 300 people, including staff and their families, gathered at the park. Park director, Imazu Koji, told them that Saturday marks a new start, and he asked everyone to see the pandas off with smiles.
The trucks left the facility a little before 8:30 a.m.
One of the keepers, Nakaya Yuka, who has taken care of the pandas for eight years, said they seemed a bit restless in the unusual atmosphere, but were eating well. Nakaya said she has no concerns because the staff are closely coordinating with their Chinese counterparts.
The pandas will be sent to a breeding facility in Sichuan Province on a chartered flight.
