Fans shocked by decision to return all 4 pandas from west Japan zoo to China
TOKYO -- All four giant pandas at a zoo in the western Japan town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, are set to be returned to China, leaving the animals' fans in shock.
A 49-year-old company worker from the city of Wakayama who has been visiting the Adventure World theme park with his wife to see the pandas expressed dismay, saying, "I still haven't come to terms with it." For about five years, he and his wife have visited the park every weekend, capturing and uploading videos of the pandas almost daily to his YouTube channel "Waka Panda," which has over 60,000 subscribers driven by the animals' charming appearance and playful behavior.
Upon hearing the news of the pandas' departure, he couldn't believe it. He commented, "In February 2023, the pandas' father, Eimei, and his daughters Ouhin and Touhin returned to China, leaving only female pandas in Shirahama. Fans hoped 'a male would arrive in spring during the females' mating season,' but we never thought they would all be gone." He noted that Adventure World allows for proximity to the pandas, recalling countless instances where people who have been to Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo wowed by the chance to see the pandas up close and leisurely in Shirahama.
"Captive breeding was so successful that it was called the 'Shirahama method,' and the pandas were one of the symbols of friendship between Japan and China. I don't understand the timing of their return at this point," he said. "I'll visit them as much as I can before they leave. Even after they're returned to China, I'll reedit the videos I have taken so far and share them in consideration of panda fans."
Social media also saw a flurry of shocked reactions. On X (formerly Twitter), users expressed sadness with posts like "I'm so shocked, I can't find words ..." and "I almost cried watching the news." Others commented, "The rental fee is expensive and may have political implications, but it has nothing to do with the pandas," and, "This is a huge blow to Wakayama's tourism industry."
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