Finland Zoo Facing Financial Issues to Return Giant Pandas to China

A zoo in Finland has reached an agreement with Chinese authorities to return two giant pandas that had been on loan, more than eight years earlier than planned. This decision arose due to rising maintenance costs and a decline in visitor numbers.

The private Ähtäri Zoo, located approximately 330 kilometers (205 miles) north of Helsinki, announced on its social media platform that the female panda Lumi and the male panda Pyry would be sent back to China later this year.

These pandas were a gift from China to celebrate Finland’s centennial independence in 2017. Originally, the pandas were supposed to stay in Finland until 2033.

Since their arrival, the zoo has faced several hurdles, including a significant drop in visitor numbers following the COVID-19 pandemic, political tensions arising from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and increased inflation and interest rates.

The agreement that allowed Helsinki to house the pandas was part of a 15-year loan arranged during a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping in April 2017, when he met with Finland’s then-President Sauli Niinistö. The pandas arrived at the Ähtäri Zoo in January 2018, as part of this goodwill gesture.

The zoo had invested around 8 million euros (about $9 million) to build a special Panda House, aiming to attract more tourists to its remote location. However, the ongoing costs of caring for Lumi and Pyry, including an annual preservation fee to China, amounted to approximately 1.5 million euros.

The pandas’ dietary needs also contributed to this expense. Bamboo, which is a crucial part of their diet, was flown in from the Netherlands, further increasing the zoo’s financial burden.

The Chinese Embassy in Helsinki had previously attempted to assist the zoo in managing its financial challenges. They encouraged Chinese businesses operating in Finland to donate, and they offered support for the zoo’s debt management efforts.

Despite these attempts to support the facility, the persistent decline in visitors, paired with the significant shifts in the economic landscape, proved challenging for the relatively small Finnish zoo. The two pandas are scheduled to undergo a month-long quarantine in late October before their return to China.

Finland, with a population of 5.6 million, has a long-standing relationship with China, having been one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties in 1950. The gifting of giant pandas has traditionally served as a diplomatic gesture from China, symbolizing goodwill and an enhancement of political relations. As the first Nordic nation to receive giant pandas, Finland’s experience highlights the complexities involved in managing international partnerships that hinge on both cultural exchanges and economic realities.