This is the moment a panda keeper bid farewell to a gentle giant he raised from birth as he cried beside a truck before she was transported from South Korea to China. On Wednesday, the beloved panda Fu Bao departed Everland, the country’s largest theme park in Yongin, as thousands of sobbing fans watched on.
In heartbreaking footage of the departure ceremony, zookeeper Kang Cheol-won said in a speech: ‘You are our baby panda forever even if 10 years pass or 100 years pass.
‘Dear all, Fu Bao is now leaving. Please, remember Fu Bao for a long, long time. and please don’t cry much!’ He can then be seen making his way to the convoy carrying the giant bear, before resting his forehead against the side of the vehicle as he clutched onto his closed umbrella in the pouring rain.
Kang and a panda expert from China both assisted Fu Bao on her two-hour flight to her new home in the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Sichuan Province. Cheol had raised the Fu Bao since she was born in the Panda World amusement park in July 2020, to parents Le Bao and Ai Bao.
The mother and father pair were sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2016 on a 15-year loan as a symbol of Korea’s and China’s friendship, reported The Korea Herald. Pandas sent by China to overseas countries are returned to China before they turn four in accordance with the endangered species conservation agreement.
The amusement park was unable to show Fu Bao to the public on Wednesday as she spent a month in quarantine to prepare for her return to China. However, this didn’t stop crowds of sobbing fans gathering to catch one last glimpse of the gentle giant before her journey.
Emotional images of the event show the crowds of around 6,000, according to local reports, braved heavy rainfall as they stood under a colourful sea of umbrellas, with some even holding up posters and balloons dedicated to the animal celebrity.
Although the fans were large in their numbers, they paused for silence when a specially crafted green vehicle carrying the panda passed through – in an effort to not scare her by the noise. The convoy, printed with a green jungle-like backdrop and images of Fu Bao’s head drove slowly down the bustling streets as onlookers cried, waved, and watched with sadness at the bear’s departure.
A message painted onto the side of the vehicle also read: ‘It’s a miracle to meet you. Thanks, Fu Bao’. As the lorry made its way down the roads, it was seen being escorted by two police cars while fans trailed along behind.
The road was decorated with flower designs and messages from fans, and Everland played photos and videos of Fu Bao on a large LED screen. Crowds of adoring panda lovers held up banners, flowers, and homemade posters as they leaned over railings and stepped into the roads to click photos. Some fans had been waiting from as early as 4am to catch a glimpse of the gentle giant, reported The Korea Times.