Public to see Giant Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo
Photo: Robyn Rowles
Edinburgh Zoo's new star attractions, the giant pandas Tian Tian ('Sweetie') and Yang Guang ('Sunshine'), are going on display to the general public for the first time.
The pair originally arrived in the UK on December 4th, but their keepers felt it best to let them recover from their trip from China before they were introduced to the public. They were welcomed to the UK in a ceremony attended by Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish Secretary Michael Moore, Edinburgh's Lord Provost George Grubb and the Chinese Charge d'Affaires Qin Gang.
The first six hundred visitors to their new ￡250,000 enclosures at Edinburgh Zoo booked far in advance of the 9.15 AM showing, but subsequent showings will occur every half hour. Visitor numbers are already expected to be double the usual of a Friday in December, and Zoo officials also said that pre-booked tickets for the first weekend were up 80% on that expected of a December weekend.
It is hoped that the pair will be able to breed. Tian Tian has had cubs in the past and Yang Guang has previously fathered cubs, although they have not mated together. The pair will be introduced to each other when Tian Tian comes into season, which is expected to be some time around February or March. The Giant Panda is so severely endangered it is at risk of outright extinction, so any cubs would be welcomed warmly by conservationists.
Edinburgh's world-renowned Zoo is delighted with their new animals, but the pandas will hopefully appreciate their new surrounding too. BBC Scotland correspondent Colin Blane said: "I have been told the male panda, Yang Guang, is very fond of a roll around in the snow. The conditions should be to his liking.”
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