Negotiations for the return of Fu Bao, the first giant panda born in South Korea through natural breeding, are set to commence in August, as reported by various media outlets.
Fu Bao, born on July 20, 2020, at the Panda World in Everland Resort, is scheduled to return to China for breeding purposes before reaching the age of four, in accordance with the leasing contract between the two countries.
Giant pandas typically reach maturity around the age of four, with females able to start reproducing between the ages of five and six. Male pandas usually become sexually mature one year later than their female counterparts, as stated by the Xinhua News Agency.
During their stay at Everland Resort, Fu Bao’s parents, Ai Bao and Le Bao, have been treated as treasured family members. The couple arrived in South Korea in March 2016 on a 15-year lease. The names “Le Bao” and “Ai Bao” mean “pleasant” and “lovely” treasures, respectively.
Grandpa Kang, one of the breeders at Everland Resort, gained popularity on Chinese social media platforms for his dedication to the pandas. Ai Bao, Fu Bao’s mother, is currently pregnant with her second child, receiving round-the-clock care from the breeders, according to China Central Television.
Media reports suggest that Fu Bao will likely be settled in the Bifengxia panda base in Ya’an, located in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. There, she would become a neighbor of Xiang Xiang, a female giant panda who returned from Ueno Zoo in Japan in February.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, initial plans to repatriate some pandas were disrupted over a three-year period. However, as China optimized its epidemic response, the country is now witnessing a wave of giant pandas returning home this year.
Alongside Xiang Xiang, three other giant pandas, Yong Ming (a male) and his twin daughters Ying Bang and Tao Bang, returned from Japan to China in February. Furthermore, Yuan Meng, the first panda cub born in France at the Zoo Parc de Bauval on August 4, 2017, is expected to return on July 25.
Edinburgh Zoo’s giant panda pair, Yang Guang (a male) and Tian Tian (a female), will also be returning to China later this year after their 12-year stay in Scotland.