On May 23 (local time), Adventure World in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, announced that the four giant pandas currently housed at the park will be returned to China on June 28.
The pandas set to return are the wife and daughters of the famous panda “Yong Ming,” known as a “Sino-Japanese Friendship Ambassador.” They include 24-year-old mother “Liang Bang,” along with her daughters: 8-year-old “Jie Bang,” 6-year-old “Cai Bang,” and 4-year-old “Feng Bang.”
According to the park, the return is part of the China-Japan panda conservation cooperation program, which will expire in August this year. To reduce the physical stress of travel on the pandas, both sides agreed to complete the transfer in the cooler month of June. “Liang Bang,” now elderly, will enjoy her later years in China under better medical conditions, while “Jie Bang,” “Cai Bang,” and “Feng Bang” will join the breeding program.
Since beginning its panda breeding program in 1994, Adventure World has achieved 12 successful births and raised 17 cubs, ranking among the most successful panda breeding institutions outside of China.
After this return, unless new pandas are sent to Japan, only two giant pandas will remain in the country: “Xiao Xiao” and “Lei Lei” at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.
On May 20, the Wakayama Prefectural Police Department presented “letters of appreciation” to pandas “Cai Bang” and “Feng Bang” for their contributions to promoting traffic safety in the region.
In 2019, Wakayama Prefectural Police established the position of “Traffic Safety Wakayama Dream Ambassador” to raise awareness about children’s traffic safety. Female panda “Cai Bang” served as the first ambassador, and in July 2022, her younger sister “Feng Bang” took over the role.
Yasutaka Yamada, head of the Traffic Department at the Wakayama Prefectural Police, stated, “Many people noticed traffic safety posters because of the pandas. ‘Cai Bang’ and ‘Feng Bang’ have made a tremendous contribution. As they prepare to return to China, we are deeply reluctant to part with them and sincerely thank them for their years of effort.”