After sending its last four giant pandas back to China last year, Adventure World in Japan’s Wakayama Prefecture has come up with an unusual way to keep its empty enclosures lively — by having staff members play the role of pandas.
According to Japanese broadcaster ABCTVnews, the four pandas — 24-year-old Rauhin and her cubs Yuihin, Saihin and Fuhin — were returned to China in June under a long-standing loan agreement. Their departure ended Adventure World’s 31-year history of keeping the iconic animals.
To maintain visitor interest, the park now runs a weekly “panda keeper experience tour”. During the sessions, guests enter the former panda habitats and feed staff members wearing panda hats, who pretend to munch on apples like the real animals once did.
One participant said it was still special to be inside the same space as their favourite pandas. Videos of the experience have gone viral online, with some users calling the roleplay “surreal”, while others found it touching and bittersweet.
The tours also help keep staff familiar with panda care routines so their specialised skills do not fade. Some viewers even mistook the footage for artificial intelligence.
The initiative was started by public relations officer Manami Wakabayashi through the Panda Love Club. Having worked with pandas for about 30 years, she hoped the activities would preserve the park’s panda-related expertise while keeping their memory alive. The park also continues to hold talks, tours and lectures about its years with the animals.
It remains unclear when or if Japan will receive new pandas. Meanwhile, the farewell trend continues nationwide, with Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo preparing to send its remaining twin pandas, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei, back to China by the end of January.
