Fubao, the first panda born in South Korea through natural reproduction, is leaving the country for China. Kang Chul-won, who is known as ‘Fubao’s Grandpa’ and works as his zookeeper, has decided to accompany Fubao to China, despite receiving news of his mother’s passing the day before.
To bid farewell to Fubao, Everland, a theme park located in Yongin, held a farewell event from 10:40 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Apr. 3. Fubao will be transported in a special semiconductor vehicle that is designed to prevent vibrations. However, attendees will not be able to see Fubao directly inside the vehicle.
Kang, who had originally planned to accompany Fubao to China, received news of his mother’s passing the previous morning. Despite being deeply saddened by the sudden news, he decided to proceed with the scheduled plans after receiving encouragement from his family. He requested Everland to keep the funeral private.
Fubao will arrive at Incheon Airport after completing the event at Everland. China has provided a chartered flight for Fubao to depart for China. Fubao will arrive in China in the late afternoon and will be living at the Wolong Shenshuping Panda Base of the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries from now on.
