TOKYO - Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo’s twin pandas, Xiaoxiao and Leilei, were seen for the last time in Japan on January 25th, after it was decided they will be returned to China.
Visitors packed the zoo and raised their smartphone cameras toward Xiaoxiao as the panda walked energetically around the enclosure, while Leilei drew attention by carefully peeling bamboo and eating with focus. With the pair’s return now confirmed, the day marked the final chance for people in Japan to view the pandas domestically.
Some visitors shared their emotions as they said goodbye, with one person pointing out which panda was which, while another said they felt lost about what to do next, and others recalled the many joyful moments the pandas had shown them over the years.
Born in 2021, Xiaoxiao and Leilei became Ueno Zoo’s first-ever twin panda births, quickly winning the hearts of the public with their charming appearance. On the final day, demand to see them surged, with the viewing lottery reaching a倍率 of about 25 times.
Messages of gratitude from zoo staff were also displayed around the grounds. Ueno Zoo Deputy Director Mikako Kaneko described Leilei as a panda who loves eating and Xiaoxiao as a spoiled, affectionate one, adding that the two had been precious animals who taught the staff many things.
A family who said they had been panda fans for nearly a decade described how their son cried when asked whether he had said goodbye, and how he has slept with a panda plush toy since he was about one year old, bringing it along even when he wakes up. The child called the toy a treasured possession and said he felt lonely after seeing so many pandas, adding that he called out “bye-bye” and hoped to visit them again someday.
The two pandas are scheduled to leave Japan on January 27th.
Source: TBS
