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I wonder, in this modern age, whether we need zoos. Not every one knows about what goes on behind the scenes, and those handlers who live by Steve Irwin’s credo deserve a lot of hugs too when one animal dies or must move on. When My Dearest Fu Bao thoroughly details all that affection from all those individuals who have been with her since the beginning, it’s best to have a box of tissues nearby!
To say goodbye to this adorable panda is tough. That’s because she is South Korea’s first giant panda bred and born in captivity. In an agreement made with China, all the pandas loaned to other country’s reserves (to expand the gene pool) must “come home” to live at the Wolong National Nature Reserve.
When archival footage gives viewers a look at her life at Everland’s Panda World, everyone assumes she is happy. Although they know the handlers must send her home to live with others of her kind, that journey to get to that moment will have many folks feeling misty eyed. Unlike Lucy, who must live out her life at the Edmonton Zoo (my movie review can be read here) and cannot join a proper herd, the contrast is heart-wrenching. Anyone curious about this pachyderm’s current health crisis can easily google up the latest news. I learned about the problems that can arise when moving animals to better habitats.
Sadly, there’s no universal translator to allow humans to know what the animal ones are feeling. Both are very intelligent in their own right, but to understand what they want means bridging that gap. To show what the bear is really feeling from a human perspective, the animation that’s included is top-notch! Those shorts really tug at the heart. I thought I was watching an episode of Curious George. When these segments are paired to show just how tight the bond is with her animal handlers, Song Young-gwan and Kang Cheol-won, it’s easy to get swept up in their adventure.
To watch what she’s up to with her siblings isn’t too tough to figure out. Although a slight communication barrier exists, this work effectively shows how the pandas understand what humans want through careful observation.
Her popularity rose during the pandemic and with that not a concern these days, crowds would often visit. Back then, the folks could go online to watch what she’s up to. Authorities enforce the wearing of face masks to prevent contamination throughout the period of restrictions, right up to the day of the move. In what’s presented by director Shim Hyeong-Jun is a careful look at how to raise animals in captivity. I’m fairly sure no one used inhumane practices, and that’s a sigh of relief.
Now that Fu Bao is living back where she belongs, she looks just as happy. When Home on the Range can be anywhere, as long as those people who have been close to her are still around. And as a result, we can all smile.
4 Stars out of 5
My Dearest Fu Bao Trailer
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