(Bloomberg) -- Finland is considering sending back two giant pandas on loan from China after a public outrage over their expenses.

The pandas, called Lumi and Pyry after Finnish words for snow, may need to return to their homeland before their original 15-year contract is up, according to Ahtari Zoo, where the animals live. 

That’s because the zoo has failed to generate enough money for their upkeep, and the Finance Ministry, which had been called in to help, has pulled a proposed €5 million ($5.4 million) grant after it sparked objections. Those center over corporate aid at a time of rising borrowing costs as well as concerns over human rights in the Asian country.

The pandas arrived in 2018 to mark diplomatic and trade ties following the centennial of Finnish independence. China has traditionally used so-called panda diplomacy to signal close diplomatic ties. 

A final decision regarding the return of the animals will be made in Feb. 28.

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