数千名日本粉丝在周六于东京上野动物园为心爱的熊猫夫妇——Ri Ri 和 Shin Shin举办了一场深情告别活动后，这对熊猫将返回中国接受治疗。
这组熊猫母子包括了去年回归中国的园生偶像Xiang Xiang，它们在中国游客中有着极高的人气。许多支持者穿着印有大熊猫图案的T恤或携带熊猫主题的装饰品，在动物园开放前数小时就排队等候，有的甚至一夜未眠确保能一睹熊猫真容。
这两只19岁的熊猫于2011年抵达上野动物园，尽管他们的租借期限延长至2026年，但根据动物园的声明，这对日渐老龄化的熊猫因为高血压病征需要返回中国接受治疗。有粉丝如高野佐久子在清晨五点便开始排队，“它们一直是我心灵上的慰藉”，她饱含泪光地表示，“我很喜欢Ri Ri在它那老树区域攀爬的身影。希望它回国后能再次在森林中奔跑。”
等候入园的队伍虽长，但只有几分钟的时间可以近距离观察黑白熊猫们的身影。幸运者能够见证它们咀嚼竹枝的画面，其他人只能通过观赏它们的小憩来窥见这些动物的生动瞬间。
中国向他国赠送大熊猫作为友谊象征，并且保留了其所有权及后代。作为中国的非官方国家象征，大熊猫原产于中国西南部地区，是世界上最濒危物种之一。据估计，在野外仅存约1800只大熊猫，而另有大约500只生活在动物园或保护区中，主要集中在四川。
此报道特别纠正了一只熊猫的名字为Shin Shin。
新闻来源：www.abcnews.go.com
原文地址：Japanese fans bid farewell to beloved panda pair before their return to China
新闻日期：2024-09-28
原文摘要：
Thousands of Japanese fans bid tearful farewell to their beloved panda couple that made their final public appearance at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo on Saturday before returning to China for medical treatment. The pair, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, are the parents of Xiang Xiang, the park-born idol that had returned home last year. More than 2,000 visitors, many wearing T-shirts and carrying items decorated by panda motifs, queued outside the zoo hours before the opening. Some said they camped out overnight to secure their chance. The pandas, both 19 years old, arrived at the Ueno Zoo in 2011. Although their lease is good through 2026, Japan and China agreed to their return home as the aging couple need treatment for high blood pressure, according to the zoo. Hirono Sasaki, who waited to enter the zoo since 5 a.m., was crying. “They were always my source of comfort, so I’m feel extremely sad,” she said. “I loved seeing Ri Ri climbing trees in her old enclosure. I hope she can climb trees again when she is back in China.” After their hours long wait, visitors were given only a few minutes inside their hut to view the black-and-white animals. Lucky ones could get a glimpse of them nibbling on bamboo branches, but others could only catch them during their naps. China sends pandas abroad as a sign of goodwill but maintains ownership over the animals and any cubs they produce. The animals are native to southwestern China and are an unofficial national mascot. Pandas, which reproduce rarely in the wild and rely on a diet of bamboo, remain among the world’s most threatened species. An estimated 1,800 pandas live in the wild, while another 500 are in zoos or reserves, mostly in Sichuan. ___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report. ___ The story corrects the name of one of the pandas to Shin Shin.
