Last two giant pandas in Japan return to China(1/3)

Giant panda Lei Lei is pictured at the Ya'an base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo provided to China News Service)

The final two giant pandas in Japan returned to China from a zoo in Tokyo on Wednesday morning, marking the end of over five decades of panda presence in Japan.

Giant panda Xiao Xiao is pictured at the Ya'an base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo provided to China News Service)

The pair, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, arrive at Chengdu in southwest China's Sichuan Province at 1 a.m. on Jan. 28, 2026, before they are sent to the Ya'an base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda. (Photo provided to China News Service)