EU Zoo Facing Financial Difficulties Decides to Send Back Chinese Pandas
A Finnish zoo is planning to send pandas back to China sooner than expected because of financial difficulties associated with the pandemic and the Ukraine conflict. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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A Finnish zoo is set to return two giant pandas to China due to financial constraints, as reported by Finnish state broadcaster Yle.
The pandas, Lumi and Pyry, were brought to Finland’s second-largest privately-owned zoo in January 2018, shortly after a joint agreement on protecting the animals was signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Nordic country.
However, Ahtari Zoo has encountered significant financial challenges in recent years. Management announced on Monday that they plan to send the pandas back to China earlier than anticipated, later this year.
The zoo attributed its decision to several factors, including accumulating debts related to the Covid-19 pandemic, a decrease in tourism, rising inflation, and increased interest rates amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Under a 15-year lease agreement, the zoo is required to pay an annual fee of approximately €1 million to China for the pandas, which is meant for species protection. Additionally, the zoo bears the responsibility for the pandas’ upkeep.
Last year, the financially struggling zoo sought a €5 million grant from the Finnish government, but the request was rejected.
Giant pandas are classified as vulnerable to extinction. Over the years, Beijing has utilized these animals as a diplomatic tool and for wildlife conservation efforts. Earlier this year, China renewed its ‘panda diplomacy’ with the U.S., marking the first such initiative in over twenty years.
The tradition began in 1972 when Chinese leader Mao Zedong sent two pandas to then-U.S. President Richard Nixon following Nixon's landmark visit to China, which established a foundation for diplomatic relations. From 1984 onwards, China transitioned from gifting pandas to leasing them.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
The pandas, Lumi and Pyry, were brought to Finland’s second-largest privately-owned zoo in January 2018, shortly after a joint agreement on protecting the animals was signed during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the Nordic country.
However, Ahtari Zoo has encountered significant financial challenges in recent years. Management announced on Monday that they plan to send the pandas back to China earlier than anticipated, later this year.
The zoo attributed its decision to several factors, including accumulating debts related to the Covid-19 pandemic, a decrease in tourism, rising inflation, and increased interest rates amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
Under a 15-year lease agreement, the zoo is required to pay an annual fee of approximately €1 million to China for the pandas, which is meant for species protection. Additionally, the zoo bears the responsibility for the pandas’ upkeep.
Last year, the financially struggling zoo sought a €5 million grant from the Finnish government, but the request was rejected.
Giant pandas are classified as vulnerable to extinction. Over the years, Beijing has utilized these animals as a diplomatic tool and for wildlife conservation efforts. Earlier this year, China renewed its ‘panda diplomacy’ with the U.S., marking the first such initiative in over twenty years.
The tradition began in 1972 when Chinese leader Mao Zedong sent two pandas to then-U.S. President Richard Nixon following Nixon's landmark visit to China, which established a foundation for diplomatic relations. From 1984 onwards, China transitioned from gifting pandas to leasing them.
Max Fischer for TROIB News
