Ueno Zoo happy with giant panda Xiang Xiang’s extended stay

June 10, 2019

Tokyo--Tokyo's Ueno Zoo on Monday expressed gratitude for an extended stay of its popular giant panda Xiang Xiang.

Xiang Xiang was shown to the media on the day, before her second birthday on Wednesday.

"We're deeply grateful that her stay has been extended," an official of the zoo said. "We want many people to see her."

Under an agreement with China, any cub born to a giant panda on loan from China must be sent to that country 24 months after its birth.

Based on the rule, Xiang Xiang was initially due to be returned by the end of this month. But China has allowed Ueno Zoo to keep her until the end of 2020.

Xiang Xiang has been living separately from her mother, Shin Shin, at the zoo since last December. Xiang Xiang weighed 61.6 kilograms as of last Wednesday.

On Monday, she was seen moving energetically in an outdoor playground, climbing up a tree and lying in a hammock.

"We'll take good care of her as she is entering an important growth phase," Yasumasa Tomita, deputy head of the zoo, said. Jiji Press