Teary-eyed fans throng Tokyo zoo to bid farewell to China-bound pandas

Thousands of thankful, sobbing fans flocked to a Tokyo zoo on Saturday to bid an emotional farewell to a pair of beloved pandas before their imminent return to China.

Sporting T-shirts, hats and sun umbrellas featuring the black and white bears, visitors shed tears, took selfies and eagerly waved at Ri Ri and Shin Shin on the panda couple’s penultimate day at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoological Gardens.

More than 2,000 panda lovers formed long queues outside the zoo on Saturday morning, some having spent the whole night there armed with picnic blankets and camping chairs.

Among the most committed was Mayuko Sumida, 44, who said she had arrived around 10pm the previous night, carrying with her panda-shaped key rings.

“I’m overwhelmed,” she said after admiring the two for the last time.