Panda bears - Fans mourn the departure of Pit and Paule to China
The little boy, standing with his parents in front of Pit and Paule's enclosure for the last time, is sad. "I think it's stupid," he replies when asked what he thinks about the twins moving to China. "Because I want to see them more often." He thinks panda bears are cute, especially the paws. Like many other visitors, he and his parents came to Berlin Zoo on Friday especially to say goodbye to Pit and Paule. Despite the low temperatures, the zoo is expecting a bigger crowd than usual this weekend.
This is because the four-year-old panda twins are moving to China in mid-December. The move had been planned for some time, but was delayed due to the pandemic. Like their parents, the bears are the property of China. Their birth on August 31, 2019 at Berlin Zoo was a minor sensation - after all, pandas are considered sexually inactive.
In future, only a plaque will commemorate the popular twin brothers. On Friday, Chinese Ambassador Wu Ken and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner unveiled the plaque with a photo of the brothers. It reads: "Meng Yuan and Meng Xiang were Germany's first panda cubs." In addition to the nicknames Pit and Paule, the pandas have Chinese names meaning "longed-for dream" and "fulfilled dream".
In China, the black and white bears are sent to the giant panda breeding and research station in Chengdu. They will be quarantined there for at least 30 days, as the cultural department of the Chinese embassy in Germany told the German Press Agency in response to an inquiry. The animals will then be presented to the public at a suitable time.
"It's a great pity," says zoo visitor Florian Gendritzki about the move. He and his wife bought an annual pass for the zoo after Pit and Paule were born and have visited the animals about once a month since then. A trip to Chengdu is on the to-do list. "What I particularly like about them is the calm and serenity they exude and the fact that they are also a bit silly." Martina Brunotte thinks: "They are also a bit boring." After all, the animals spend most of their time eating and sleeping, as the visitor says. Nevertheless, they are "simply cuddly". She herself lived in China for a long time and therefore has a special interest in the animals.
China is not only bringing back pandas from Germany
One zoo visitor has come all the way from Belgium: "I travel all over the world to see pandas," says the man. The Middle Kingdom only allows the bears from its own breeding program to selected countries. This is also known as "panda diplomacy". The animals and their offspring are only loaned out. Critics say that China uses panda bears as a reward for countries with which it signs trade agreements or to countries with which it wants to be on good terms. Last year, for example, the country gave away two bears to Qatar.
The USA recently suffered a setback: The zoo in the capital Washington had to say goodbye to all three pandas in November, which were ordered back to China. There are also no more pandas in the UK. The only two specimens had started their journey home to China at the beginning of December after twelve years at Edinburgh Zoo.
Despite the departure of Pit and Paule, Berlin will not be pandal-less: The parents Meng Meng and Jiao Qing are staying. Many visitors wished on Friday that there would soon be offspring again. The zoo is also hoping for this. Offspring are planned again, the institution recently announced. The mother panda could "theoretically" signal that she is ready to conceive again in spring 2024. If all goes well, the Berlin Zoo could have another panda offspring in the summer.
According to the Chinese embassy, those who want to keep up to date with the welfare of Pit and Paule do not have to take a plane to Chengdu: "The panda base will keep the fan community up to date with all the latest news about the twin brothers from time to time via its official social media channels," it said.
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- The little boy, who is sad about Pit and Paule's move to China, frequently visits the Zoo in Berlin to see the panda bears, especially admiring their paws.
- Despite the planned move, Berlin Zoo is expecting a larger crowd than usual this weekend, as many visitors want to bid farewell to the popular twin pandas, Pit and Paule, before they depart for China.
- Kai Wegner, Berlin's Governing Mayor, join Wu Ken, the Chinese Ambassador, to unveil a plaque commemorating Pit and Paule as Germany's first panda cubs at the enclosure.
- After their departure to China, Pit and Paule will be quarantined for at least 30 days before being presented to the public at the giant panda breeding and research station in Chengdu.
- Florian Gendritzki, a frequent zoo visitor who bought an annual pass after Pit and Paule's birth, thinks it's unfortunate and has Chengdu on his list to visit the pandas, appreciating their serene and silly nature.
- Martina Brunotte, a long-time China resident and zoo visitor, perceives the pandas as somewhat dull due to their constant eating and sleeping habits, but still finds them adorable.
- The Berlin Zoo will not be panda-less for long, as their parents Meng Meng and Jiao Qing remain; many visitors hope for offspring again, including the zoo, with signs that Meng Meng could potentially conceive again in spring 2024.
Source: www.stern.de
