Fu Bao, a beloved giant panda born in Korea, began adjusting to his new surroundings with zookeeper Kang Cheol-won, widely recognized as the “Fu Bao grandfather,” by his side. Despite bereaving his mother the day before the Panda’s departure, Kang accompanied Fu Bao’s return to China. The intricate procedures involved in replacing Kang and encouragement from Kang’s family reportedly motivated his trip to China.
Everland, the amusement park where Fu Bao resided, considered sending keeper Song Young-kwan in place of Kang following the passing of Kang’s mother. However, Panda’s transportation with a chartered cargo plane became an issue. The international protocol for transporting an individual on a chartered aircraft is complex due to the potential misuse of criminal activities such as smuggling. The protocol requires submitting documents such as the criminal background to the country of entry, followed by approval from South Korea’s foreign ministry and Ministry of Justice, a process that requires at least a week.
The amusement park official explained that it was also the wishes of Kang’s family.
“His family encouraged Kang, saying that his mother would have wanted him to accompany Fu Bao to his new home.”
Kang is set to return home on April 5 and will be organizing a memorial event for his mother with the family.
Meanwhile, China’s poor treatment of Fu Bao upon his arrival caused a stir among Korean and Chinese fans. Chinese media outlets, including state-run CCTV and Xinhua News Agency, live-streamed Fu Bao’s return through local media when an individual was captured sticking his finger through the transport container’s breathing holes and touching the Panda without wearing gloves. The footage went viral on social media, outraging fans.
In response, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda explained that the man seen in the footage is a veterinarian who had been sanitized beforehand to conduct necessary examinations to check Fubao’s condition. Additionally, one of the Chinese reporters at the scene posted a photo of Fu Bao without his mask on social media before deleting the post in response to criticism.
