Korean farewell for panda
A SOUTH Korean zoo yesterday threw a farewell party for Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in the country, ahead of the beloved animal’s scheduled return to China.
Fu Bao, which means lucky treasure, has attracted a huge fan base since she was born in July 2020 at Everland theme park just south of Seoul. The panda is set to return to China’s Sichuan Province next month after spending a month in quarantine.
Thousands of visitors queued up in the early morning chill to attend the farewell event, with many saying they will miss the panda once she’s gone.
“I was mentally ill three years ago, but Fu Bao has helped me get through it and brought me a lot of comfort,” said Kim Min-ji, 31. “It’s sad to say goodbye, but we need to let her go. I hope she goes safely and will be happy.”
Jo Ah-hyeon, 24, said she waited more than four hours to see Fu Bao. “This is our last chance, you never know when we’ll see her again so I had to come,” she said.
Zoo keeper Kang Cherwon, who has been caring for Fu Bao, said the panda had given him much love as well as taught him a lot about the critically endangered species. Online videos of Kang caring for Fu Bao are very popular in South Korea.
“Fu Bao is a friend who has played many roles,” Kang said. “She was my first panda cub, and my heart is filled with memories of her that I will never forget all my life.”
Her parents, 10-year-old female Ai Bao and 11-year-old male Le Bao, arrived in 2016 from Sichuan. Last July, Ai Bao gave birth in South Korea to giant panda twins.
(Reuters)