Panda Fu Bao receives final gift on her last public appearance in Korea before departing for China

Beloved panda Fu Bao has received a heartfelt farewell gift on her final public appearance in South Korea.

In an emotional outpouring on an online forum, Korean netizens couldn't hold back tears as they bid farewell to Fu Bao on her last day greeting visitors at the theme park, Everland, in Yongin. Marking the occasion, Fu Bao was presented with two charming bamboo toys and a bouquet teeming with flowers, bamboo leaves, and carrots.

Caretaker Kang Cher Won, affectionately known as "Kang Bao" for his paternal dedication to the panda family, also couldn't contain his emotions as he bid adieu to the audience, closing the venue for the day with a heavy heart.

In a touching moment captured in fan footage, Kang Cher Won assured the public of updates on Fu Bao's well-being, prompting tears from the audience who now faced the difficult task of bidding farewell to their beloved panda.

Fu Bao, born on July 20, 2020, to pandas Le Bao and Ai Bao, symbolizes the diplomatic friendship between Korea and China, with President Xi Jinping gifting the pandas in March 2016. Under the conservation agreement, pandas sent abroad are repatriated to China before the age of four. Fu Bao's successful natural birth, despite low panda fertility rates, has endeared her to animal lovers worldwide.

As Fu Bao enters pre-quarantine ahead of her journey to China in early April, she will eventually find herself at the Giant Panda Conservation Research Center in Sichuan Province, continuing her role in conservation efforts.

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