A zoo in Finland has announced that it will be returning two giant pandas back to China, more than eight years earlier than planned. The pandas, named Lumi and Pyry, were brought to Finland in 2018 as part of a joint agreement signed by Chinese president Xi Jinping during a visit to the Nordic country.
The decision to return the pandas early was attributed to rising inflation and increasing upkeep costs for the animals. The Ahtari Zoo, where the pandas currently reside, had invested over 8 million euros in their facilities and faced annual upkeep costs of 1.5 million euros.
Despite hopes that the pandas would attract visitors to the central Finland location, the zoo instead accumulated mounting debts due to the pandemic limiting travel. Negotiations to return the pandas lasted three years, with the Chinese embassy in Helsinki stating that the decision to return the animals was made after friendly consultations between the two countries.
The return of the pandas was described as a business decision by the zoo and did not involve the Finnish government. A spokesperson for Finland’s foreign ministry assured that the decision should not impact relations between Finland and China, as efforts were made by China to support the zoo throughout the process.
The pandas will undergo a month-long quarantine before being shipped back to China. The zoo expressed regret at having to return the beloved animals but cited financial reasons for the decision.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
