Fans flock to Tokyo zoo for panda's last day before China return

Visitors flocked to Ueno Zoological Gardens in Tokyo on Sunday to bid goodbye to a hugely popular female giant panda on her last day with the public before her return to China. Xiang Xiang's final appearance before she leaves Japan on Tuesday was subject to enormous demand, with many taking photos of her on the landmark day and some reduced to tears as their one-to-two minute time with the panda came to an end. Admission to see the giant panda was limited to a pre-selected lottery of 2,600 entries a day. The final time slot on Sunday was so popular that there were around 70 times as many applicants as there were available entries. While her time in Japan was originally set to conclude once she had turned 2, the loan saw five extensions due to the coronavirus pandemic.