A financially struggling Finnish zoo is preparing to send two pandas back to China later this year, as the expense of maintaining them has become unsustainable.
Huá Bà o and his female companion, JÃn Bà obà o, arrived at Ähtäri Zoo in central Finland in 2018 but failed to breed. Meanwhile, the zoo has faced severe financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation driven by Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The pandas' hefty appetite for bamboo—up to 12 kilos per day—required the zoo to import it from the Netherlands, costing around €100,000 annually, according to local reports.
Last year, the Finnish government considered providing financial support to keep the pandas, but after facing criticism, the funding plan was scrapped.
A spokesperson for Finland’s foreign ministry told Reuters that the decision to return the pandas was made by the zoo for financial reasons and did not involve the government. They added that the move should not affect relations between Finland and China.
China has long practiced "panda diplomacy," gifting pandas to foreign zoos to enhance its international image. However, some countries, including the U.S. and U.K., have recently returned pandas due to the high cost of their upkeep.
The pandas' stay in Finland was secured through a 2017 agreement signed by then-Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Chinese leader Xi Jinping during Xi's visit to Finland.
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