Amidst a gloomy day and steady rainfall, thousands of South Koreans gathered at Everland Resort and its zoo in Yongin to bid a heartfelt goodbye to Fu Bao, the first naturally born giant panda in South Korea. Visitors chanted \"Goodbye Fu Bao\" and expressed their sadness with phrases like \"I'll miss you\" as they watched her departure.
Fu Bao is scheduled to leave South Korea on April 3, 2024, and is expected to land in Sichuan Province, southwest the Chinese mainland, on the same day. Following her arrival, she will undergo a one-month quarantine at the Shenshuping Base of Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province before her further relocation.
This move is part of the giant panda research cooperation program, which stipulates that all giant pandas born overseas must return to the Chinese mainland before reaching four years of age. Giant pandas typically reach maturity around four years old, at which point they become sexually mature.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
