Public set to get a peek at panda twins at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in Jan.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

December 11, 2021

The public will finally be able to see the twin giant panda cubs in person at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo starting Jan. 12, 2022, the Tokyo metropolitan government announced.

The male cub Xiao Xiao and female cub Lei Lei, both born at the zoo in June, will be with their mother Shin Shin, 16, in the Panda no Mori (pandas’ forest) breeding facility, which opened in September 2020.

They will only be seen by the public for two hours in the morning at first, but their hours will be gradually extended if they are deemed healthy enough, an official said.

In preparation for the big day, the pandas — currently living in an undisclosed area — have been exposed to sounds from a radio to get them used to noises and voices from visitors.

Meanwhile, the Tokyo government and Chinese authorities have agreed that the return of the twins’ older sister Xiang Xiang, 4, will be pushed back until June 2022.

Visitors to the Ueno Zoo will be able to see the family of five, including the father Ri Ri, 16, for a while longer.