A plan for Tian Bao, the first giant panda born in Belgium, to travel to China has been delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. He will continue to stay at the Pairi Daiza zoo in Belgium in 2022, according to a news release published on the zoo's website on February 4.

Giant pandas born outside China shall travel back to the country at the age of 4, according to the panda loan convention, to better safeguard the panda as well as conserve the species. Tian Bao was born on September 15, 2016 to parents Hao Hao and Xing Hui, a couple sent to Belgium for 15 years to mark Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit in 2014.

Tian Bao is not the only panda affected by the pandemic. A planned journey to China for giant panda Xiang Xiang, who was born in Japan, was postponed at the end of last year.

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