Fans flock to the zoo for final public viewing of last two pandas in Japan

Giant panda Lei Lei eats in its enclosure on the final day of public viewing before departing for China at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. -- AP Photo/Louise Delmotte

TOKYO (Bernama-Kyodo): Fans gathered at a Tokyo zoo on Sunday to bid farewell to the last two giant pandas in the country, long a symbol of Sino-Japanese friendship, two days before they leave for China, Kyodo News Agency reported.

The departure of Xiao Xiao and his sister, Lei Lei, will leave Japan without any pandas for the first time since 1972, when China gifted a pair to Japan following the normalisation of bilateral ties.