Two giant pandas bid farewell to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Sunday as they embarked on their journey back to China. A crowd of onlookers gathered near the zoo, waving goodbye to the truck that transported Ri Ri and Shin Shin to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture.
Ueno Zoo head, Yutaka Fukuda, expressed gratitude for the pandas’ presence and stated that they would be missed. Since their arrival in 2011, Ri Ri and Shin Shin have brought joy to countless individuals.
Both pandas are currently experiencing symptoms of high blood pressure and will receive medical treatment upon returning to their home country of China.
Shin Shin gave birth to Xiang Xiang in 2017, followed by Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei in 2021. As Xiang Xiang was sent back to China in 2023, the twins remain as the sole pandas at Ueno Zoo.
