The real stars of the zoo are the two giant pandas, Ri Ri and Shin Shin, brought here from the Wolong Nature Reserve in China in February 2011. You can see them opposite a five-story pagoda which is a reconstruction of the one built in the park in 1631.
An interesting fact: the names of the giant pandas were changed when they arrived in Japan from China, by means of a referendum among the inhabitants of Tokyo. The male, originally called Billy, was named Ri Ri to emphasize its vitality, while the female’s name of Siennyu was changed to Shin Shin, meaning purity.
