A new living quarter for giant pandas, the "Panda Forest," will open at Ueno Zoo in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on Sept. 8. The new home aims to recreate the lush forests of Sichuan Province, China, which is the homeland of 14-year-old male panda Ri Ri and 15-year-old female panda Shin Shin.
The new facility is located in West Garden, about 300 meters from their current living space, which is close to the main gate at East Garden. Rock and water areas are allocated along roughly 6,800 square meters of the rugged landscape. The construction cost was about 2.2 billion yen. Lesser pandas, which share the habitat range with the giant pandas, and pheasants from China will be kept there together.
The zoo will stop showing RiRi and Shin Shin to the public from Tuesday in order to prepare them for their move to the new facility. Viewing of Xiang Xiang, the three-year-old daughter of the pair, will continue at the current panda facility.
"The facility is well-crafted to bring out pandas' natural behaviors and entertain the visitors," Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said at the scheduled press conference on Aug. 7.
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