Finnish zoo to return two pandas to China ahead of schedule due to lack of tourists from Russia

Two pandas, which arrived in the Finnish zoo from the PRC in 2018 on the terms of a 15-year lease agreement, will return to China ahead of schedule due to the financial crisis. This is reported by the Yle TV and radio company with reference to the zoo management.

"Pandas Lumi and Pyuryu will return early from the Yahtäri Zoo to China during this year," - stated in the material dated September 23.

According to the zoo management, the measure has been taken due to a number of factors, citing a coronavirus pandemic, a decrease in the number of tourists and inflation and rising interest rates due to the Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine.

"A lot of work has been done and the direction is right, but additional efforts are still needed," commented zoo general manager Arya Väliaho on the financial situation for Aamulehti.

The pandas will be housed at the zoo until the end of fall, then they will be quarantined in accordance with international recommendations.

Earlier, on August 17, Hong Kong's big panda Ying-Ying became the oldest panda to give birth to cubs for the first time. The panda gave birth to twins on Aug. 15 on the eve of her 19th birthday, equivalent to 57 years in human terms.

In August 2023, pandas Zhui and Dingding, who arrived in Moscow in 2019 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China, gave birth to panda Katusha. She will go to the PRC when she turns four years old. On August 24, 2024, she celebrated her birthday at the Moscow Zoo.