Twin giant pandas Rui Bao and Hui Bao are expected to return to China this winter, following their older sister Fu Bao.
Keeper Kang Chul-won said in a recent video on Everland's YouTube channel "Talking Zoo Ppupa TV" that "Rui Bao and Hui Bao will also turn three, and I think there may be hormonal changes related to breeding behavior by early next year." Kang added, "Fu Bao had a difficult time because of that, so we are considering preparing as early as this winter to send the twins off without difficulty," and "Experts from both Korea and China are discussing when would be the most comfortable time for the two to leave."
Rui Bao and Hui Bao, born in July 2023 to mother Ai Bao and father Le Bao, are Korea's first twin pandas and will turn four years old next July. Pandas are an internationally endangered species and are required to be repatriated to China within four years of birth.
