HELSINKI: 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 (Sep 24). The pandas, named Lumi and Pyry, were brought to Finland in January 2018, mo

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 has said.

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

Inflation and debt are among the reasons Lumi and Pyry are being sent home eight years early.

Agreement to loan the animals was sealed during a 2017 visit by President Xi Jinping

Finland will return two giant pandas on loan from China more than eight years ahead of schedule because of financial problems at the zoo where they are housed, its chair told AFP on Wednesday.