October 28th, Panda Day: "Blooming Future for Pandas - Thank You, Xiang Xiang" begins

On October 28th, Panda Day, the event "Bloom the Future of Pandas - Thank You Xiang Xiang" will begin.
└─ 2020/10/28

Ueno Zoo has designated October 28th as "Panda Day" because it was on October 28, 1972, that the first Giant Panda in Japan arrived at the zoo.

To commemorate "Panda Day," we are launching "Bloom the Future of Pandas - Thank You Xiang Xiang" starting today! This is the announcement for the first phase of the project!

Photos of Ranran and Kankan when they visited the park.

"The Future of Pandas in Bloom - Thank You Xiang Xiang" Part 1

1. The website has been given a special Xiang Xiang makeover!

Ueno Zoo website has been given a special Xiang Xiang design for a limited time. The PC version and Kawakawa version have different designs, so be sure to check them out.

Website (PC version)

2. We will release a previously created pamphlet (Panda Enclosure edition).

This time, we are releasing the "Panda Enclosure Edition" from among the pamphlets about Giant Panda that Ueno Zoo has created so far. We trace the history from the first Giant Panda enclosure built for the first time in Japan to the newly opened "Panda Forest" in 2020, using pamphlets that are being released online for the first time (please refrain from unauthorized reproduction).

The first panda enclosure (open to the public in May 1973)

The first panda enclosure was built for Lan Lan and Kang Kang. Until this facility was completed, the two pandas temporarily lived in the tiger enclosure, which had been renovated for Giant Panda.

"U.E.M." No. 5 "Giant Panda "
(Published February 6, 1980)
Download here

East Garden Panda House (opened to the public in April 1988)

The current East Garden panda enclosure was built with the intention of housing three generations of pandas, after Huang Huang, Fei Fei, and their second cub Tong Tong were born. Since then, it has been used while undergoing several renovations and expansions.
The zoo underwent major renovations in 2011 to coincide with the arrival of Ri Ri and Shin Shin, and it is now home to Xiang Xiang.

"U.E.M." No. 16: "Giant Panda 's 20-Year Journey"
(Published November 12, 1992)
Download here

"Welcome, Shinshin and Riri!" (Published April 1, 2011)
Download here

The completion ceremony for the current East Garden panda enclosure.
(Date of photo: April 16, 1988)
We often get asked, "Isn't Xiang Xiang lonely now that she's the only panda in East Garden Garden enclosure?" But please rest assured. Giant Panda are naturally solitary animals, except during the breeding season. Xiang Xiang doesn't seem bothered at all since Ri Ri and Shin Shin moved out of East Garden Garden enclosure, and she's doing well.

Xiang Xiang
(Date of photo: October 25, 2020)

Key features of "Panda Forest"

"Panda Forest" opened on September 8, 2020 (click here for details).

This state-of-the-art facility recreates the landscape of Sichuan Province in China, the pandas' natural habitat, while incorporating various ingenious features to create a suitable environment for Giant Panda and taking the natural environment into consideration. The viewing walkways are also equipped with numerous features that make you feel as if you've wandered into the forest where the pandas live, such as replicas of panda claw marks and droppings.

To commemorate "Panda Day," let me share one of the special features of "Panda Forest" that isn't mentioned in the brochure.

Some of you may have already noticed, but the roof tiles of the indoor exhibit facility bear the words "Giant Giant Panda House"! And if you look closely at the character for "cat," doesn't the radical for "animal" look like Giant Panda sitting in its distinctive "panda sitting" position?


Roof tiles for indoor exhibition facilities	Let's compare it to the actual "panda sitting" pose...

Please try to find the unique features of "Panda Forest" with your own eyes!

(October 28, 2020)