Zoo visitors in Japan queue for four hours to say goodbye to pandas

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A Japanese zoo is limiting how many people can see its giant pandas due to huge crowds. These are the last pandas in Japan, and people are eager to see them before they are sent away.

Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo announced this week that its twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, will return to China in late January. This news has caused a sudden increase in visitors eager to see them one last time. As the last pandas in Japan, their departure means the country will be without these animals for the first time in over 50 years.

Ever since the announcement, people have been waiting in line for more than four hours, even on normal weekdays. Because the zoo closes at 5 p.m., staff have had to stop letting new visitors join the line early in the afternoon.

Zoo has four hour queue to see pandas

It’s been crazy busy trying to see the pandas! The staff are really trying to manage the crowds, so they’ve limited viewing time to just one minute per person. It’s a quick peek – you try to spot them, snap a photo, and then move on so the next person gets a chance. It feels rushed, but hey, at least everyone gets a look!

The pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, were born in Japan, but they belong to China as part of a long-term agreement for panda loans and breeding. This agreement requires all panda cubs to return to China when they become adults.

The public will have a final opportunity to view them on January 25th. Until then, expect long lines and limited viewing times as fans gather to pay their respects.

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2025-12-19 16:48