Finland Zoo Returns Giant Pandas to China over Cost

One of four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta rests in their habitat on Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP)
One of four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta rests in their habitat on Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP)
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Finland Zoo Returns Giant Pandas to China over Cost

One of four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta rests in their habitat on Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP)
One of four giant pandas at Zoo Atlanta rests in their habitat on Dec. 30, 2023, in Atlanta. (AP)

Finland will return two giant pandas to China in November, more than eight years ahead of time, as the zoo where they live can no longer afford their upkeep, the chair of the zoo's board told Reuters on Tuesday.

The pandas, named Lumi and Pyry, were brought to Finland in January 2018, months after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Nordic country and signed a joint agreement on protecting the animals.

Since its founding in 1949, the People's Republic of China has sent pandas to foreign zoos to strengthen trading ties, cement foreign relations and boost its international image.

The Finnish agreement was for a stay of 15 years, but instead the pandas will soon go into a month-long quarantine before they are shipped back to China, according to Ahtari Zoo, the pandas' current home.

The zoo, a private company, had invested over 8 million euros ($8.92 million) in the facility where the animals live and faced annual costs of 1.5 million euros for their upkeep, including a preservation fee paid to China, Ahtari Chair Risto Sivonen said.

The zoo had hoped the pandas would attract visitors to the central Finland location but last year said it had instead accumulated mounting debts as the pandemic curbed travel, and that it was discussing a return.

Rising inflation had added to the costs, the zoo said, and Finland's government in 2023 rejected pleas for state funding.

In all, negotiations to return the animals had lasted three years, Sivonen said.

"Now we reached a point where the Chinese said it could be done," Sivonen said.

The return of the pandas was a business decision made by the zoo which did not involve Finland's government and should not impact relations between the two countries, a spokesperson for Finland's foreign ministry said.

The Chinese embassy in Helsinki did not reply to a request for comment.



China's Humanoid Robots Generate More Soccer Excitement than their Human Counterparts

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
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China's Humanoid Robots Generate More Soccer Excitement than their Human Counterparts

Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters
Billboard illustrating humanoid robots at 2018 China International Robot Show in Shanghai. Reuters

While China's men's soccer team hasn't generated much excitement in recent years, humanoid robot teams have won over fans in Beijing based more on the AI technology involved than any athletic prowess shown.

Four teams of humanoid robots faced off in fully autonomous 3-on-3 soccer matches powered entirely by artificial intelligence on Saturday night in China's capital in what was touted as a first in China and a preview for the upcoming World Humanoid Robot Games, set to take place in Beijing.

According to the organizers, a key aspect of the match was that all the participating robots operated fully autonomously using AI-driven strategies without any human intervention or supervision.

Equipped with advanced visual sensors, the robots were able to identify the ball and navigate the field with agility

They were also designed to stand up on their own after falling. However, during the match several still had to be carried off the field on stretchers by staff, adding to the realism of the experience.

China is stepping up efforts to develop AI-powered humanoid robots, using sports competitions like marathons, boxing, and football as a real-world proving ground.

Cheng Hao, founder and CEO of Booster Robotics, the company that supplied the robot players, said sports competitions offer the ideal testing ground for humanoid robots, helping to accelerate the development of both algorithms and integrated hardware-software systems.

He also emphasized safety as a core concern in the application of humanoid robots.

“In the future, we may arrange for robots to play football with humans. That means we must ensure the robots are completely safe,” Cheng said. “For example, a robot and a human could play a match where winning doesn’t matter, but real offensive and defensive interactions take place. That would help audiences build trust and understand that robots are safe.”

Booster Robotics provided the hardware for all four university teams, while each school’s research team developed and embedded their own algorithms for perception, decision-making, player formations, and passing strategies—including variables such as speed, force, and direction, according to Cheng.

In the final match, Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics defeated the China Agricultural University’s Mountain Sea team with a score of 5–3 to win the championship.

Wu, a supporter of Tsinghua, celebrated their victory while also praising the competition.

“They (THU) did really well,” he said. “But the Mountain Sea team (of Agricultural University) was also impressive. They brought a lot of surprises.”

China's men have made only one World Cup appearance and have already been knocked out of next years' competition in Canada, Mexico and the United States.