People bid farewell to three giant pandas at Belgian zoo

Large crowds gathered at Belgium's Pairi Daiza zoo on Sunday to say their final goodbyes to three beloved giant pandas born in the country ahead of their return to China next month.

The three pandas—Tian Bao, Bao Di, and Bao Mei—are set to enter quarantine before returning to their homeland in December to begin their new lives at the Giant Panda Base in Bifengxia, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

At the zoo, Belgian fans expressed their heartfelt farewells to the adorable bears.

"For the kids, it's very important for them to see the pandas grow up, and we want to say goodbye," said a young girl's father.

"It's with great emotion for me to be here today and say goodbye to Tian Bao and his siblings. I am feeling very emotional," said a visitor at the zoo.

Tian Bao is the eldest of the siblings, born in 2016, while twins Bao Di and Bao Mei were born in 2019. The parents of the three pandas, Hao Hao and Xing Hui, will remain at the Belgian zoo.

The panda loan agreement, signed in 2013, allowed the pair to stay in Belgium for 15 years. Under the terms, their offspring must be returned to China at the age of four to join breeding and conservation efforts. However, the Covid-19 pandemic delayed those plans.

For both zookeepers and the public alike, the pandas will be sorely missed. However, for the sake of their long-term well-being and breeding prospects, returning to China is the best option.

"Tian Bao is not just a little boy, he's a man. He needs to have another life. He needs to have a girlfriend and he needs a breeding family, so this is why we cannot keep Tian Bao," said Yang Liu, a panda caretaker at the zoo.

Now, preparations for the departure of these precious pandas are in the final stage. The zoo staff has taken all necessary measures to ensure they are in good condition for the flight to China.

"Not getting an infection, not getting sick and not getting a cold. After that, they can get the health document and a pass to go on the plane," said Yang.

People bid farewell to three giant pandas at Belgian zoo

People bid farewell to three giant pandas at Belgian zoo

The death toll in the war-torn Gaza Strip has risen to 71,769 since the conflict between Hamas and Israel erupted on Oct 7, 2023, with the number of injuries reaching 171,483, Gaza's health authorities said on Saturday.

In the past 48 hours, hospitals in Gaza received 17 more bodies, including 12 new deaths and five bodies recovered from the rubble, the authorities said.

Since the ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct 10, 2025, Israeli attacks have killed 509 people and wounded 1,405 others, according to the Gaza health authorities.

Israel will reopen the Rafah crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt for pedestrian traffic in both directions on Sunday, an Israeli government-affiliated body announced in a statement on Friday.

Israel's office of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories said in the statement that exit from and entry into the Gaza Strip via the Rafah crossing "will be permitted in coordination with Egypt, following prior security clearance of individuals by Israel, and under the supervision of the European Union mission."

The move is part of a U.S.-proposed Gaza ceasefire plan. Israel said last Sunday that it would reopen the Rafah crossing after recovering the body of the last Israeli hostage in Gaza, which was retrieved from Gaza earlier this week.

Palestinian death toll in Gaza rises to 71,769