The Ähtäri Zoo in Finland, the country’s second largest zoo, is to send back a pair of giant pandas to China eight years ahead of schedule due to financial difficulties.
The pandas, Lumi and Pyry, arrived in Finland in January 2018 on loan for fifteen years after a state visit by China’s President Xi Jinping.
Lumi and Pyry arrived at Ähtäri Zoo hoping to attract more visitors to the zoo; however, that hasn’t been the case as the zoo has accumulated a large amount of debt since the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was confirmed by Risto Sivonen, chair of the private company operating the zoo, that over €8 million to house the pandas and paid €1.5 million annually for their upkeep.
Ähtäri Zoo asked Finland’s government for a grant of €5 million however the grant was denied.
Image: By Ninara from Helsinki, Finland (Wikipedia)