SAD PANDA
Petition re-emerges in South Korea for China to send back panda Fu Bao amid well-being concerns

Fu Bao, a panda born in South Korea to pandas on loan from China, was sent to China in April, according to an agreement. PHOTO: AFP

MAY 31, 2024

SEOUL – A petition calling for the return of a giant panda, which was sent to China after being born and raised in South Korea, has resurfaced in South Korea amid lingering concerns over the beloved bear’s well-being in China.

The petition, titled Return Fu Bao To Korea and submitted by a petitioner surnamed Koh, emerged on May 29 on the South Korean National Assembly’s online petition platform.

It has met the initial requirement of gathering 100 instances of consent and now awaits a review for it to be made public, allowing everyone to view its content and potentially support it.

Fu Bao, a female panda born in 2020 to pandas on loan from China, was sent to China in April according to the loan agreement between the two countries. She is now being kept at a breeding park inside the Shenshuping giant panda base in Wolong National Nature Reserve in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China.

This is the second time a petition has been made over Fu Bao, who is South Korea’s first naturally bred panda and has enjoyed massive popularity ever since she was born.

Early in April, a Seoul citizen proposed through the city government’s petition platform that the city should push for another loan agreement with China and accommodate the star bear at the city-run Seoul Grand Park. The city government responded by saying that the panda will “adapt well to the environment in China”.

But whether Fu Bao is adapting well is a top concern for many fans in South Korea, with some raising suspicions over maltreatment.

Recently, unverified photos circulating on social media showed some dark spots on Fu Bao’s neck, which worried South Korean fans. Some even suggested that the dark spots may be from the panda being chained.

On May 28, the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda released video clips and photos of Fu Bao via its official social media account as proof of the panda’s sound conditions. It said the bear will be available for public viewing starting from June. 

THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK