Staff at a zoo in Japan are going to great lengths to try and fill the void left by one of its departed animals after its final four pandas had to return to China.
In honor of their lost bears, workers at Adventure World amusement park and zoo in Wakayama, which is south of Osaka, have been sporting panda face hats and being fed by zoo visitors.
People will be allowed to dress up as a zookeeper and "experience a program that mimics actual animal care work, such as preparing meals, observing behavior, filling out daily reports, and checking the safety of the exercise area," the park said, per the outlet.
The 90-minute session also allows visitors to feed caged zookeepers dressed as pandas pieces of apple.
In addition, visitors to the park also saw various giant panda models.
Although they expressed disappointment over the absence of real pandas, they noted that this experience offered a great opportunity to learn more about the role of zookeepers who care for animals. According to Huanqiu, a similar experiential activity was launched at Japan Wakayama Adventure World, back in November. Participants in this activity wore zookeeper uniforms and panda-themed hats to experience the work of panda caretakers.
The cost of the activity was 8,000 yen per person (approximately RMB360), and tours were available on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, with participants receiving a zookeeper certificate upon completion.
On January 27 (local time), the two giant pandas, "Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei," departed from Ueno Zoo in Tokyo to the airport, beginning their journey back to China. This marked the first time since 1972 that Japan had no giant pandas in captivity. According to China News Service, as "Xiaoxiao" and "Leilei" left, a large number of Japanese citizens lined up at the zoo entrance to bid them farewell.
(Source: China Daily)
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