Thousands gather in Japan to say goodbye to last giant pandas
Emotions were high as people waited in lines of up to three-and-a-half hours to see the twin cubs one final time.
The farewell comes during a period of strained relations between Tokyo and Beijing, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s warning that Japan would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan.
The twins’ departure will leave Japan panda-free for the first time since 1972, when the two countries normalised diplomatic ties. China has long used giant pandas as a symbol of goodwill, but retains ownership of all pandas it loans abroad, including cubs born overseas.
Host nations pay around $1 million (£790,000) annually for a pair.
According to Tokyo’s metropolitan government, roughly 108,000 people applied for one of the 4,400 available slots to see the pandas before they left.
"I have been bringing my son here since he was a baby, so I hope it becomes a good memory for him. I'm glad we could come today to remember them," one visitor told a news outlet.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
