China’s treatment of giant panda Fu Bao angers fans in South Korea
- Rumours have surfaced that the Korean-born bear has lost patches of fur from her back, which could be due to stress or poor care
China’s panda diplomacy with South Korea has been challenged by angry Fu Bao fans. Photo: XinhuaIt’s been over three months since beloved Korea-born panda Fu Bao was sent to China, but her South Korean fans still can’t get enough of their favourite bear as they continue to worry about her well-being in her new home.
Born at Everland Theme Park in July 2020, Fu Bao became Korea’s first naturally bred panda as part of a loan agreement between South Korea and China. During her four years here, the female panda won the hearts of tens of thousands of theme park visitors.
Since her departure for China in April, she has been residing at the Shenshuping Giant Panda Base in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in southwestern Sichuan province. Despite the long distance separating them, Fu Bao’s Korean fans continue to keep her memory alive by sharing her latest photos on social media and in online communities.
However, concerns about the panda’s treatment in her new home have ignited a fresh wave of activism among these fans.
Since her return, rumours have surfaced that the four-year-old panda has lost patches of fur from her back, which fans suspect could be due to stress or poor care in her new environment. Demanding better conditions and assurances about Fu Bao’s well-being, the fans have launched extensive campaigns both online and offline in the past few months.
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These efforts include protests in front of the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, placing ads in The New York Times newspaper and launching online petitions on international platforms like Change.org.
Some fans have also initiated hashtag campaigns on X, formerly known as Twitter, tagging international animal welfare organisations and Chinese authorities with slogans such as “Ensure Fu Bao’s safety.”
Naver community “Fu Bao Gujodae (Fu Bao 119),” which translates to “Fu Bao’s rescue team,” is one of the major fan communities spearheading these efforts. Created in late May, it currently has over 4,000 members.
The manager of Fu Bao Gujodae, who wished to be identified only by her surname Jeong, shared the fans’ primary concern – the lack of safety measures in the panda’s outdoor enclosure.
“Due to the absence of a tall fence, Fu Bao’s safety is constantly at risk. Recently, a chair fell into the enclosure, and photos were posted online of Fu Bao carrying it in her mouth. There was also an incident when she carried a dropped camera lens cap in her mouth,” Jeong said.
“Our concern is that if objects fall into the enclosure, she could get hurt, and if she accidentally eats any of these objects, it could lead to a major illness.”
Jeong also noted that, unlike the Everland facility, the Chinese facility lacks tall trees where Fu Bao can relax as she did in Korea.
Earlier this month, Jeong and several other fans sent a handwritten letter to the officials at the Shenshuping Giant Panda Base, pleading for better care for Fu Bao. They received no direct reply, except for statements from the Chinese government through media reports asserting that “Fu Bao is safe and in good health.”
Jeong said members of her cafe plan to expand their campaign to scrutinise China’s “panda diplomacy.” They are consulting animal welfare activists and legal experts to develop strategies for raising their voices internationally, such as through global environmental forums.
“It sounds quite hypocritical that China signed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but still keeps lending pandas – an endangered species – where they are locked up. As much as people deserve freedom, so do pandas,” she said.