FANS FLOCK TO ZOO FOR FINAL PUBLIC VIEWING OF LAST 2 PANDAS IN JAPAN

TOKYO, Jan 25 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Fans gathered at a Tokyo zoo on Sunday to bid farewell to the last two giant pandas in the country, long a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship, two days before they leave for China, Kyodo News Agency reported.

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972, when China gifted a pair to Japan following the normalisation of bilateral ties.

Visitors needed a prior reservation to see the pandas at the Ueno Zoological Gardens on Sunday, with 4,400 slots available and 24.6 times the number of people applying for them online, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

An 8-year-old boy residing in Tokyo who came along with his parents said after viewing the pandas, "The two appeared healthy, devouring the bamboo shoots. They were cute."

There were also visitors who went to the zoo even after failing to secure a slot for the public viewing.

"I plan to stay in the zoo until it closes. I hope the twin pandas both remain in good shape," said a 60-year-old resident of Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo.

Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei will leave Japan on Tuesday and arrive the next day at a facility in China.

Since pandas arrived in Japan half a century ago, they have won the hearts of many in Japan, drawing big crowds. They have also brought economic benefits as tourist attractions and with panda-themed toys and goods.

The twin pandas were born in Japan in 2021 to their mother Shin Shin and her mate, Ri Ri, both of whom were on loan to Japan for breeding research. China retained ownership of them.

Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei became the last remaining pandas in Japan after four others at the Adventure World amusement park in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, departed for China in June last year.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO