"Waiting 7 Hours in the Cold Snap? Crowds Flock to See Pubao One Last Time"

Everland Waiting Line from Dawn
Everland-bound Buses Full from First Departure

The final public appearance of giant panda Pubao, who will be returning to China next month, is just one day away. Everland has become extremely crowded with visitors eager to bid farewell to Pubao, who will only be available for viewing until the 3rd.

Citizens visiting Everland in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, are capturing images of the panda Fubao, who will be relocated to China in early April.
Everland will only open Fubao to the public until the 3rd, following quarantine procedures ahead of the animal's air transport. [Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 1st, the start of the March 1st holiday weekend, a long queue formed for Everland's 'open run' event. Even before the 10 a.m. opening time, the ticket booth was bustling with visitors braving the early spring cold. Buses from Gangnam to Everland were fully packed from the first departure around 5:30 a.m. Online, numerous posts streamed in reporting on the open run situation.

Even after overcoming the full buses and open run, it was not easy to meet Pubao at Everland. Photos posted on social media showed a waiting time sign at Panda World displaying '400 minutes.' This means visitors had to wait 6 hours and 40 minutes after entry to see Pubao.

Everland originally scheduled Pubao’s interactions with visitors only in the afternoon to coordinate with the twin panda siblings’ alternating releases. However, due to the large number of visitors wanting to say goodbye to Pubao, from the 1st to the 3rd, Everland decided to keep Panda World open all day for Pubao’s viewing. On the 3rd, when Pubao can be seen in Korea for the last time, a live YouTube broadcast is being considered.

Photo by X Capture

Everland is also running various programs to remember and support 'the eternal baby panda' Pubao, for fans saddened by the upcoming farewell. An Everland official explained, "Through a special program themed 'Meeting You Was a Miracle, Thank You Pubao,' we plan to create precious memories for Pubao, the caretakers, and visitors."

After saying goodbye on the 3rd, Pubao will undergo private health and quarantine checks inside Panda World in accordance with international wildlife regulations before transfer. Under the special care of the caretakers, Pubao will sequentially go through preparation steps such as adapting to the transport cage.