Fu Bao fan group takes out ad in New York Times demanding better care

The Bao Family Gallery, a group on the online community DC Inside, said they took out a full-page ad in the New York Times calling for China to take better care of Fu Bao.

A full-page advertisement said to be printed in New York Times' Tuesday paper, paid for by the DC Inside Bao Family Gallery. [DC INSIDE BAO FAMILY GALLERY]

Korean fans of the female giant panda Fu Bao said they paid for a full-page advertisement in the New York Times’ Tuesday paper asking China to better care for the bear, who was moved to a state-run panda sanctuary in Sichuan province in April.

The money was collected and paid by fans active in the Bao Family Gallery, a community on the Korean internet forum DC Inside. A post with the final ad copy for the newspaper was uploaded to the community website on Monday. The same community had paid for billboard ad space in New York City’s Times Square in May to play a 15-second video titled “My Name is Fu Bao” that protested the bear's alleged mistreatment. The fans claimed to have collected over 150 million won ($108,000) for both the newspaper and billboard ads.

The advertisement said to be in the New York Times' U.S. edition shows Fu Bao on the ground looking up at her former self on a tree in Everland, the Korean amusement park where she was born.

In the ad, fans outlined their demands to the Shenshuping conservatory, where the giant panda currently resides. They asked for transparency on Fu Bao’s health and living conditions, changes to her environment, the installation of 24-hour surveillance cameras around her living space and no unauthorized touch, among other requests. They claimed that Shenshuping Panda Base continued to profit off of Fu Bao while subjecting her to subpar conditions.

The ad outlines the group's requests. [DC INSIDE BAO FAMILY GALLERY]

The China Conservation and Research Center has continuously refuted allegations that she has been abused. At a press conference held the day before the giant panda’s debut to the Chinese public in June, officials from the agency said the bear was healthy apart from partial hair loss, which commonly occurs with giant pandas. They also said changes in the color of her fur were likely due to “her playing behavior of rolling on the ground,” and that Fu Bao’s physical development, nutritional intake and living environment were being prioritized. Two panda keepers, two veterinarians and one nutritionist were assigned to ensure the bear’s health, according to the center.

The giant panda’s new home consists of an indoor and outdoor enclosure that has around 10 trees and a wooden bench, as well as a pond. It has a surveillance camera that is on 24/7 to monitor her, according to local media reports.

Everland zookeeper Kang Cheol-won, who was the primary caregiver of Fu Bao and became famous for being the giant panda’s “grandfather,” visited her in early July. He commented positively on Fu Bao’s living conditions, saying “the surroundings are excellent and the local caregivers have put in a lot of effort for Fu Bao.”

The giant panda was born in Everland, an amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi, in 2020, the first to be born in Korea through natural breeding. Her parents, Le Bao and Ai Bao, were sent by Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2016 as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy” to symbolize friendship between the two countries.

Fu Bao was transferred to China in April in line with the country’s policy mandating that foreign-born pandas return to China before they turn four, when they enter sexual maturity.

Update, July 18 : Sources added to details on enclosure.

BY KIM JU-YEON [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]