Following an extensive effort for permission, Yle has recently visited the two giant pandas that Finland had on loan and then returned to China ahead of schedule.
The animals arrived in Finland in 2017, after China leased them in a gesture of goodwill and friendship. The move was said to be a continuation of Chinese "panda diplomacy".
The pandas were sent to Finland's Ähtäri Zoo, in Southern Ostrobothnia.
However, due to the zoo's financial difficulties, a decision was made to return the pandas to China in autumn 2024. The zoo eventually filed for bankruptcy and shut down to the public.
During their time in Finland the pandas were called Lumi and Pyry, but in China the animals were named Jin Baobao (Lumi) and Hua Bao (Pyry).
Along with 18 other giant pandas, they now reside at China's newly opened Mianyang panda base, a new conservation facility in Sichuan Province.
Yle gained access to the base like other visitors, by purchasing tickets.
Lumi and Pyry were found by the facility's panda house number eight. The animals have access to an outdoor area measuring a few hundred square metres that features climbing trees, ponds and multi-level terraces. The facility's design is said to have been inspired by the Sichuan landscape.
When Yle arrived, both of Finland's borrowed pandas were seen in the outdoor area. Pyry was basking in the sun eating bamboo shoots, while Lumi was seen gently rocking back and forth on a stack of logs.
Panda enthusiasts were seen eagerly snapping photos, but the facility was hardly overcrowded on that weekday morning.
Following Finland's lease agreement with China, Lumi and Pyry spent six years at the Ähtäri Zoo, but they were returned eight years ahead of schedule.
Since their return, Yle has tried to get permission from Chinese authorities to film the animals and to interview their caretakers.
However, Chinese authorities keep a close eye on the media's activities.
Gaining permission required diplomacy involving Finland's foreign ministry, its agriculture and forestry ministry as well as local authorities in China.
Initially, Chinese officials said the visit would need to wait until the pandas adapt to their new life. Then, permission was denied on grounds that the Mianyang panda base was still in its early stages of operation.
The Mianyang region is one of the key areas of panda conservation. The latest count found 419 giant pandas living in the wild in the region. There are an estimated 1,900 giant pandas currently living in China's wilderness.
Mianyang's panda base works for the animals' conservation. The facility is around 120 hectares in size and home to a total of 20 pandas. The animals range in age from four to 27 years old.
The panda base, which also serves as a research institute, has space to accommodate 54 giant pandas.
The facility expects that its first giant panda cubs will be born within a year or two, depending on the success of its breeding programme.
There is no mention on exhibit signs explaining that the pandas were briefly known as Lumi and Pyry, nor that they spent time in Finland. They are simply referred to by their Chinese names, Jin Baobao and Hua Bao.
According to the WWF, giant pandas are no longer classified as "endangered", but are still considered a "vulnerable" species.
