"Annual Food Cost of 100 Million Won"…Picky Panda Family to Eat the Same Bamboo for 3 More Years

Hadong-gun Forest Cooperative Extends Bamboo Supply Contract Until July 2027, Ongoing Since 2016

Bamboo produced in Hadong-gun, Gyeongnam, will be served on the Everland panda family's table for another three years.

On the 1st, Hadong-gun announced that it has decided to extend the supply of bamboo for the panda family for three years until the end of July 2027. To this end, Hadong-gun, Hadong-gun Forestry Cooperative, and Everland held a business meeting the day before at Everland in Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do to discuss the supply contract for panda feed bamboo. Since 2016, Hadong-gun has been delivering 1 ton (500 kg per delivery) of bamboo produced in the clean areas of Cheongam, Agyang, Hwagae, and Okjong-myeon twice a week to Everland.

The entrance to Everland Panda World is bustling with a queue of people waiting to see the twin pandas, Ruibao and Huibao. Photo by Jo Yongjun jun21@

Hadong-gun explained, "The bamboo produced in the clean areas is soft and tender, satisfying the picky taste of pandas." Giant pandas are animals with a gentle appearance but have very particular tastes. In particular, they never eat bamboo leaves that are not fresh or are wet. To meet the pandas' taste, Everland quickly transports freshly cut bamboo from Hadong-gun early in the morning through express delivery. Bamboo is the main food of pandas, and in captivity, they also eat snacks such as 'Wotou,' a bread mixed with grains and eggs, as well as fruits like apples, bananas, and carrots. Currently, Everland Panda World is home to the father panda Leobao, mother panda Aibao, and twin sisters Ruibao and Huibao, born in July last year.

The last appearance of the giant panda 'Fubao' revealed on March 3rd at Everland Panda World in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Fubao has now returned to China. Photo by Joint Press Corps

Giant pandas are classified as 'Vulnerable' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, and their population is very small. Therefore, the cost of managing panda health is inevitably high, and it is known that the annual cost of purchasing bamboo alone exceeds 100 million won. In this business meeting, Hadong-gun agreed to provide bamboo free of charge about 12 times a year, and Everland agreed to allow Hadong-gun to conduct promotional activities using the pandas.

Baetaekyoung, Vice President of Samsung C&T Corporation, said, "The panda family raised on clean bamboo and bamboo shoots from the pristine area of Hadong is receiving much love from visitors," and added, "We express our gratitude to Hadong-gun and the Forestry Cooperative for their sincere efforts to ensure smooth bamboo supply." Hadong-gun Governor Ha Seungcheol said, "This re-contract for supplying Hadong bamboo feed with Samsung C&T has become a source of pride for Hadong-gun," and added, "We will actively cooperate with the Forestry Cooperative to ensure there is no disruption in bamboo supply."