TOKYO: Two popular pandas are set to leave Tokyo for China Tuesday, leaving Japan without any of the beloved bears for the first time in 50 years as ties between the Asian neighbors fray. Panda twins Lei Lei and Xiao Xiao are due to be transported by truck out of Ueno Zoological Gardens, their birthplace, disappointing many Japanese fans who have grown attached to the furry four-year-olds. “Although I can’t see them, I came to share the same air with them and to say, ‘Hope you’ll be OK,’” one woman visiting the zoo told public broadcaster NHK.

Seit 1972 verleiht China Riesenpandas nach Japan. Jetzt soll die Panda-Diplomatie vorbei sein – und die beiden letzten Riesenpandas den Zoo in Tokio verlassen. Die Menschen stehen…

Japan bids farewell to its last pandas, twins Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, amid strained ties with China and public outcry.