Finnish zoo forced to send pandas back to China due to 'rising care costs'

A Finnish zoo is preparing to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years earlier than planned, citing the high costs of their care and a drop in visitor numbers.

The private Ähtäri Zoo, located 205 miles north of Helsinki, announced that the pandas, Lumi (which means “snow”) and Pyry (which means “snowfall”), will be sent back to China later this year.

The pandas were originally loaned to Finland as part of a 15-year agreement with China to commemorate Finland’s 100th year of independence in 2017.

Since the pandas arrived in January 2018, the zoo has faced financial difficulties that have worsened due to a decline in visitors caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Visitor numbers fell significantly as fewer tourists visited the region, leading to a sharp decline in revenue for the zoo.

On top of this, rising inflation and increasing interest rates have compounded the zoo's financial woes, making it too costly to maintain the pandas.

The cost of caring for the pandas has proven to be a significant burden for the small zoo.

The annual expenses for keeping Lumi and Pyry, which include a preservation fee to China and the high cost of importing bamboo from the Netherlands, total around $1.6 million each year.

In addition, the zoo spent approximately $8.5 million to build a special Panda House to house the pandas, hoping to attract more visitors and boost revenue.

Unfortunately, the effort to draw tourists with the pandas did not generate the expected financial returns.

China had attempted to help the zoo by urging Chinese companies operating in Finland to make donations and even offered assistance with restructuring the zoo’s debt.

However, these efforts were not enough to overcome the financial challenges. Ähtäri Zoo confirmed that the pandas would enter a month-long quarantine in late October before being shipped back to China.

Finland was the first Nordic country to receive giant pandas from China, a symbolic gesture of goodwill and strong political ties between the two nations.

The return of Lumi and Pyry marks a premature end to what was initially seen as a mutually beneficial arrangement.

The panda loan had been part of China’s long standing "panda diplomacy" strategy, where the animals are sent to countries as a sign of strengthened diplomatic relations.

Despite the early return of the pandas, the zoo has emphasized that this decision was not taken lightly but was necessary to ensure the zoo's financial stability.

Finland, with a population of 5.6 million, was one of the first Western nations to establish diplomatic ties with China, doing so in 1950.

The panda deal had been finalized during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Finland in 2017 when he met with then-Finnish President Sauli Niinistö.

Understanding China's Panda Diplomacy and Its Functioning

Panda diplomacy, a practice employed by China since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949, has been used to enhance China's global image and strengthen diplomatic relations.

The tradition began with the gifting of pandas to socialist allies like the Soviet Union and North Korea during the 1950s and 1960s.

A significant moment came in 1972 when China gifted two pandas, Ling Ling and Hsing Hsing, to the United States following President Richard Nixon’s visit, symbolizing the normalization of the U.S.-China relations.

Since then, countries like Japan, France, Britain, and Spain have also received pandas, furthering their diplomatic ties with China.

However, due to the declining population of giant pandas, China shifted its approach in 1984, transitioning from gifting pandas to leasing them to foreign zoos.

These loan agreements typically last for 10 years, with zoos paying up to $1 million annually.

While pandas are expensive to maintain, they often act as star attractions, drawing large numbers of visitors and generating substantial revenue for zoos.

Panda cubs born overseas are also returned to China between the ages of two and four to join breeding programs, reinforcing the species’ conservation efforts.

Pandas have not only been symbols of goodwill but also tools of Chinese diplomacy.

China has been known to lease pandas to countries with whom it has significant trade agreements, such as uranium deals with Canada, France, and Australia.

Conversely, pandas have also been withdrawn to express political discontent, as seen in 2010 when China recalled two pandas from the U.S. following tensions between Beijing and Washington.

Most recently, in April 2023, Ya Ya, a panda on loan to the US for 20 years, was returned to China, signaling the complex nature of panda diplomacy amidst changing political climates.