Chinese panda centre denies accusations that South Korea-born bear Fu Bao is being abused

The refutation comes after South Korean fans take out ad in New York’s Times Square saying the animal has been mistreated in China

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Giant panda Fu Bao eats at the Shenshuping Panda Base in Wolong National Nature Reserve in China’s Sichuan province on May 27. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 5:00pm, 8 Jun 2024Updated: 5:54pm, 8 Jun 2024

China’s national panda conservation centre says giant panda Fu Bao, born in 2020 in South Korea, has received proper treatment since her move to Sichuan province in April, denying accusations by South Korean fans who said the bear was being abused.

The refutation came days after electronic billboard ads in New York’s Times Square, paid for by South Korean panda fans, accused China of treating Fu Bao poorly since her return to her homeland.

Fu Bao, whose name means “lucky treasure”, is the first panda born in South Korea. She is beloved in the country, where she has amassed a huge local fan club. Over 6,000 South Korean fans bid an emotional farewell to her in April, and many have continued to monitor her situation since then.

Shanghai-based news portal The Paper on Saturday outlined the allegations by South Korean panda fans and refuted all of them, citing clarifications from the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda.

Responding to speculation that Fu Bao had lost fur on her back “due to abuse and injury”, the report noted that the conservation centre released a video on May 28 saying the bear had a patch of fur on her neck that was shorter than the surrounding fur, but no pathogens had been found during tests.

“There were no abnormalities such as allergies, scabs or thickening of the skin,” the centre added.