2 Pandas at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo to Return to China

Tokyo, Aug. 30 (Jiji Press)--Two giant pandas at Tokyo's Ueno Zoo will be returned to China on Sept. 29, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said Friday.

Both Ri Ri, a male, and Shin Shin, a female, have high blood pressure associated with old age, informed sources said. The public will have a final chance to view the popular animals on Sept. 28.

The two pandas "have been loved by everyone for 13 years," Koike told a regular press conference. "I want people to put the (pandas') health first and see them off warmly."

Japanese and Chinese officials have concluded that the two pandas should be treated in China, their home country.

Currently, there are four giant pandas in Ueno Zoo. The two pandas' twin cubs, Xiao Xiao, a male, and Lei Lei, a female, will remain at the zoo after the parents have returned to China.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]