Now almost 4 years old, Thailand’s celebrity baby panda Lin Ping is ready to move to China to search for a mate and have cubs.
However, this relocation will not be permanent, as the Thai foreign minister stated on Friday, thanks to a deal negotiated between the two nations that will cost Thailand $1 million annually.
Previously the star of a Thai reality television series, discussions regarding the panda’s future have been ongoing at high levels for several months. Last year, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra requested that then-Chinese premier Wen Jiabao consider extending the panda’s loan, which is set to expire on her 4th birthday, May 27.
On Friday, a significant development was communicated when the Chinese Embassy informed Thai officials that Lin Ping could remain in Thailand until October, according to Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul. After that, she will move to China where officials will find her a male companion, allowing them to return to Thailand for breeding, he explained.
“Typically, every baby panda born abroad is required to return to China for breeding,” Surapong remarked, but an exception was made by the Chinese due to the strong bilateral relationship with Thailand.
Lin Ping was born at the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand to two adult pandas on loan from China. Her birth made headlines across Thailand, and the panda family became the stars of a popular but slow-paced reality show that broadcast live from their zoo environment for nearly three years.
As per Surapong’s comments, China has not specified a date for Lin Ping’s return to Thailand but aims to ensure it occurs within a year. She will have the opportunity to stay in Thailand for as long as 15 years, at an annual cost of $1 million.
“The new fee is four times greater,” he noted. The previous agreement stipulated a $250,000 fee for the panda loan. “But (we) can accept that.”
