Table of Contents
- ZOO Staff Dress as Pandas
- Panda Love Club Experience
- Return of the Pandas
- End of an Era
- Controversies in Other Zoos
ZOO staff have been donning panda costumes to pay tribute to their beloved bears, following the return of the last four endangered pandas from a zoo in Japan back to China.
Employees wear panda hats at the Adventure World amusement park and zoo in Wakayama, where visitors can join the “Panda Love Club.”
Workers wearing panda face hats being fed by zoo visitors in JapanCredit: Youtube/ABCTVnews
‘Panda Love Club’ at Adventure World amusement park and zoo in WakayamaCredit: Youtube/ABCTVnews
Giant pandas Rauhin (L) and Saihin (R) on their last day on display in JapanCredit: Getty
For 8,000 yen (£38), visitors can even feed apples to the costumed zookeepers.
This initiative follows the return of the park’s last four pandas, which were shipped back to China in June last year.
The bears, 24-year-old Rauhin and her offspring Yuihin, Saihin, and Fuhin, were returned as part of a panda exchange agreement.
Rauhin made history as the first panda born in captivity in Japan.
This marks the conclusion of the park’s 31-year history of hosting these iconic black and white bears.
Soon, Japan will be entirely free of pandas, as the country’s final two bears are set to leave Ueno Zoo in Tokyo.
When Rauhin and her children departed for China, the zoo initiated this unique program to preserve staff expertise and maintain public interest.
During the “Panda Love Club” sessions, visitors role-play as zookeepers, feeding the costumed staff.
The park states that participants can “experience a program that simulates actual animal care work, including meal preparation, behavioral observation, completing daily reports, and ensuring the safety of the exercise area.”
The highlight of the 90-minute experience is feeding apples to a costumed zookeeper crouched in the former panda enclosure.
The park remarked: “This special attraction allows visitors to learn about the bond between pandas and their caregivers while understanding the importance of preserving the lives of giant pandas,” the park added.
In contrast, some Chinese zoos have faced criticism for their own peculiar practices.
In February of last year, a zoo in Zibo City, Shandong, was criticized for painting donkeys black and white to make them resemble zebras.
The poorly executed paint job was quickly recognized, and the zoo eventually confessed that the animals were donkeys in disguise.
Another Chinese zoo was ridiculed when visitors discovered that their pandas were actually painted dogs.
Images showed dogs with black ears, limbs, and dark circles around their eyes, yet their canine features remained unmistakable.
Guangyuan Park claimed visitors could see “rare and exotic animals,” directing them towards the disguised dogs.
An aquarium in Shenzhen announced a new whale shark with much excitement in 2024—only for visitors to realize it was a robot.
FAQs
Why are zoo staff dressing up as pandas?
They are dressing up as a tribute to their beloved bears after the last four pandas were returned to China.
What is the "Panda Love Club"?
The "Panda Love Club" is an interactive program where visitors can role-play as zookeepers, engaging in activities like feeding the costumed staff and learning about panda care.
What happened to the pandas at Adventure World?
The last four pandas
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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