At Tokyo Zoo, Visitors Worry Pandas Could Be China’s Next Target
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Ueno Zoo visitors lament the upcoming departure of pandas Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, fearing China may not replace them amid Japan-Taiwan support.
A wave of concern has swept through Japan's Ueno Zoo following the announcement that Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, the zoo's popular 4-year-old giant panda twins, will be returning to China in late January. These pandas are on loan from China.
The news that the pandas would soon leave prompted many to visit the zoo. Some fear that China might not send replacement pandas, possibly as a reaction to Japan's recent expressions of support for Taiwan. The concern is that Japan could soon be without pandas for the first time in over fifty years.
Mitsuko Usui, a 65-year-old visitor, arrived at the zoo early Tuesday morning with her family. She joined the long line at 9 a.m. to see Lei Lei. Usui, who had brought her son to see pandas when he was young, wanted to share the same experience with her granddaughters. "It’s so hard to imagine Japan without pandas," Usui commented, reflecting the sentiments of many worried visitors.
