TOKYO: Thousands of thankful, sobbing fans flocked to a Tokyo zoo on Saturday to bid an emotional farewell to a pair of beloved pandas before their imminent return to China.

Sporting T-shirts, hats and sun umbrellas featuring the black and white bears, visitors shed tears, took selfies and eagerly waved at Ri Ri and Shin Shin on the panda couple’s penultimate day at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens.

More than 2,000 panda lovers formed long queues outside the zoo, some having spent the whole night there armed with picnic blankets and camping chairs. Among the most committed was Mayuko Sumida, 44, who said she had arrived around 10pm the previous night, carrying with her panda-shaped key rings. “I’m overwhelmed,” she said after admiring the two for the last time.

“They are the best duo that brings comfort and smiles to me.” The mammals are immensely popular around the world, and China loans them out as part of a “panda diplomacy” programme to foster foreign ties. The pandas Ri Ri and Shin Shin arrived at Ueno Zoo in 2011 and were due to stay until Feb 2026, but Japan and China agreed it would be better for the 19-year-olds to return to their home country in light of their declining health.

They will be transported back to China on Sunday. On Saturday, strict crowd control measures were in place at the zoo to escort fans away after giving them just a few minutes to adore and photograph the pair through the glass.

Published in Dawn, September 29th, 2024