Japanese Zoo Replaces Pandas with Staff in Costumes After Animals Depart

According to the South China Morning Post, the zoo has started organizing tours where staff dressed in panda costumes interact with visitors. Guests can "feed" these employees, and after the tour, they are given special certificates.

Reacting to this initiative, social media users expressed a range of opinions. Some called this action avant-garde theater, others noted its surreal nature, while a third group acknowledged that such an idea is both touching and sad, as it reminds them of the pandas that are no longer in the zoo.