Two 'Halbuji' Who Raised Fubao, Tears Held Back While Comforting Fans Suddenly Flowed

Fans Shed Tears After Coming Out to Soothe Disappointment
Poobao Sent Back to China After Special Care for One Month

'Puba-o Halbuji' zookeeper Kang Cheol-won and 'Puba-o Little Halbuji' zookeeper Song Young-gwan finally showed tears in front of fans on Puba-o's last commute.

'Korea's first' giant baby panda, Pubao, had its final meeting with visitors on the 3rd. Pubao's caretakers, who comforted the fans, finally showed tears. [Image source=Naver Cafe 'Everland Zootopia' capture]

April 3rd was the last day the Everland Giant Panda Puba-o was open to the public. On this day, videos posted by visitors who met Puba-o for the last time at Everland were shared on social media (SNS). In the video, Zookeeper Kang came outside to comfort visitors who found it hard to leave even after Panda World closed.

Zookeeper Kang told the fans who were sad, "What are you doing not going home? You should go home quickly. Stop crying now." He added, "We will take good care of Puba-o so that he can leave well," and comforted them by saying, "We will share news about how Puba-o is doing and how he is spending his time, so please don't worry too much." He also said, "You will have to cry again after 30 days. For today, stop crying and return home safely."

Then Zookeeper Kang said, "Aren't you going to visit Rui and Hui (Puba-o's twin siblings)? We can meet again then," and added, "I told Rui and Hui this morning, 'Oh, I am so grateful that you are here.'" However, he soon seemed overwhelmed with emotion and could not continue speaking. Covering his face with both hands as if trying to hold back tears, Kang waved to the visitors and said, "Stop crying and go home. See you next time." After bowing deeply to the visitors once more, he covered his face and turned away.

Zookeeper Song Young-gwan also showed signs of becoming emotional while greeting Puba-o fans in front of the Panda World shop that day. Fans shouted to Song, "Don't cry," and "Thank you." After regaining his composure, Song said, "I am very grateful. This is a moment for you all to say goodbye to Puba-o, so I thought about what kind of appearance I should show you. I wondered what kind of image Puba-o should show so that you could feel comfortable and comforted." He continued, "You are saying goodbye to Puba-o a little earlier than I am, and that feeling is something I will have to experience in a month, so today I tried not to show tears."

In November 2020, 'Fubao' (福寶), the first baby panda born in Korea, was revealed to the media at Everland Zoo in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), pandas born overseas must be returned to China before they turn four years old for mating purposes. Therefore, Puba-o will no longer be open to the public after this day and will receive special private health care inside Panda World for one month. After completing quarantine preparations, including pre-adaptation training for the transport cage, Puba-o will return to China on April 3rd. Puba-o will fly approximately 2,400 km from Incheon Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport next month. The Chinese side plans to send a chartered plane for Puba-o's transfer, and after disembarking, Puba-o will be taken to the Panda Protection Research Center in Sichuan Province, western China. Zookeeper Kang is expected to accompany Puba-o on the flight to China.

Zookeeper Kang delivered Puba-o's gratitude on his behalf. Before Puba-o's commute that day, Kang said, "This is Puba-o's story," and expressed, "Thank you so very much to our fans who have loved, cherished, and supported me all this time. I hope you won't be too upset and that we can remain in a relationship where you continue to love and support. I hope our fans stay strong. Thank you."

Puba-o was born on July 20, 2020, between the giant pandas 'Lubao' and 'Aibao,' who were sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2016 as a symbol of friendship with Korea. Puba-o is the first panda born through natural breeding in Korea, and around 100 days after birth, was named 'Puba-o,' meaning 'treasure that brings happiness.' Over the following three years, Puba-o met visitors at Everland Panda World and earned nicknames such as 'Yongin Pussi,' 'Pugongju,' and 'Purungji.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.