KYODO NEWS - May 31, 2019 - 18:47 | All, Japan

Giant panda cub Xiang Xiang, which has been drawing huge crowds at a Tokyo zoo, will return to China by the end of 2020, Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike said Friday.

The female panda was originally to be returned to China when she turns 2 next month under an agreement. The loan period has been extended.

China has ownership of Xiang Xiang as well as her parents that came to Japan in 2011 under a 10-year lease agreement.

"Thanks to the understanding of the Chinese side, people can continue seeing her," Koike told a press conference. "I can imagine some people would miss her but (the return of Xiang Xiang) will be necessary in preserving and breeding of pandas."

Xiang Xiang was born on June 12, 2017 to mother Shin Shin and father Ri Ri through natural mating at the Ueno Zoological Gardens. Her name was chosen from more than 320,000 suggestions the zoo had received from the public.

The zoo began exhibiting a panda cub for the first time in 29 years.

Since a panda cub is very difficult to nurture due to its inability to control its body temperature right after birth, zoo staff monitored and took care of her around the clock for about three months.

Japan has agreed to pay $950,000 to China annually for the lease of Xiang Xiang.