NHK

 

 
 
Visitors flocked to a theme park in western Japan on Sunday for the last opportunity to get an up-close look at four giant pandas that are set to be transferred to China.
 
The four female pandas at the park in the town of Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, are scheduled to be sent to China on June 28, as the contract of a joint project is set to expire in August.

 

 

Sunday is the last day for visitors to be able to see the pandas outdoors. The pandas will then be on view to the public only at glass-enclosed indoor facilities from Monday through June 27, one day before their scheduled departure.
 
A woman in her 20s said that she was close enough to hear the animals munching bamboo, so she felt sad that no one would be able to see them outdoors again.
 
She added that she would like to visit again to see the pandas through glass, before they are sent to China.