Photo/Illutration The new enclosure for giant pandas at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens mimics their natural habitat in China’s Sichuan province. Photo was taken Sept. 8. (Takayuki Kakuno)

A new enclosure for giant pandas at Tokyo's Ueno zoo that mimics the animals' natural habitat in southwestern China’s Sichuan province opened to the public on Sept. 8.

Keepers in Taito Ward's Ueno Zoological Gardens moved two of its three giant pandas, 15-year-old Ri Ri, who is male, and Shin Shin, a female, who is also 15, in the hope the new facility will encourage them to mate again.

Their offspring, 3-year-old Xiang Xiang, will continue to be displayed in the original enclosure until she is returned to China by the end of this year.

Visitors are being asked to refrain from snapping photographs until the animals get used to their new surroundings.

The enclosure called “Panda no Mori” (Panda’s forest) features trees, a cave, a pond and rocky terrain.

The new space covers an area of about 6,800 square meters and is three times larger than the old one.

Visitors were able to view the animals only through glass at the old enclosure, but part of the new facility offers uninterrupted views.

Ri Ri and Shin Shin moved to the new enclosure on Aug. 24. 

Megumi Aga, 55, a paper-cutting artist who visited the zoo from Chiba Prefecture, said: "I expected that Ri Ri and Shin Shin would be nervous, but I was glad that they both calmly behaved as usual. I hope the new environment will encourage them to breed."

The new facility has an adjacent enclosure for lesser pandas.

After Xiang Xiang returns to China, the original enclosure will be torn down.

Ueno Zoological Gardens had been closed since the end of February and only reopened in late June while limiting visitor numbers due to the new coronavirus pandemic.

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