Overview
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government set Jan. 25 as the final public viewing for Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei before their repatriation.
- Ueno Zoo has capped viewing to about one minute, will require online reservations next week, and will use a lottery for the final 12 days.
- The twins are leaving about a month before their Feb. 20 loan deadline after Tokyo sought an extension that Chinese counterparts did not grant, according to Japanese media.
- Once the pair departs, Japan will have no giant pandas for the first time since 1972.
- China’s Foreign Ministry declined detailed comment, and reports note that panda loans remain Chinese property with offspring typically returned under standard agreements.