Rui Bao and Hui Bao may return to China this winter

South Korea may soon be preparing to say goodbye to its beloved panda twins, again.

Rui Bao and Hui Bao, the giant panda sisters born at Everland in 2023, are expected to return to China this winter, according to their zookeeper Kang Cheol-won, setting the stage for another emotional farewell for fans.

In a video uploaded to Everland’s YouTube channel on Wednesday, Kang said experts from Korea and China are in discussions to determine when the panda twins should return to China.

“Fu Bao had a difficult time going through those changes. We are considering sending the twins back a little earlier, around this winter, so the transition can be as smooth and comfortable as possible for them,” Kang said.

As a symbol of the two countries’ friendship, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent two giant pandas, Ai Bao and Le Bao, in March 2016. Their twin cubs are Rui Bao and Hui Bao.

Fu Bao, the couple’s first cub and the first giant panda born in Korea, returned to China in April 2024 under the terms of an international conservation agreement requiring captive-born pandas to be sent back before reaching breeding age.

Kang said the twins are nearing their third birthday and may begin experiencing hormonal changes related to breeding behavior.

Born weighing just 180 grams and 140 grams, respectively, the twins have grown into healthy young pandas of nearly 90 kilograms each under the care of their mother and dedicated zookeepers.

junheee@heraldcorp.com