Pandas in Edinburgh!!
Last Sunday, Tian Tian (“sweetie”) and her male companion Yang Guang (“sunshine”), two giant pandas arrived in Edinburgh.
They are the new marvellous additions to our much beloved Edinburgh Zoo.
As happens with anyone, after the long journey they need some time to rest and adjust before being able to hang around for the amusement of us all.
Native to central-western and south western China, the giant pandas were first introduced to the West in 1869 when a French missionary received a skin from a hunter. Then in 1916 a German zoologist, the first Westerner known to have seen a living panda, bought a cub.
From then on, they grew in popularity to become one of the world’s most loved and protected rare animals.
Its look reminds us of a teddy bear (so cute!), its diet which is almost entirely herbivorous with bamboo being its favourite choice for food and its calm nature make them very special and sweet.
It’s an endangered species, threatened not only by continued habitat loss but also by its low birthrate. They are generally solitary and after mating, the male leaves the female alone to raise the cub. We hope Tian Tian and Yang Guang spend some quality time together at our zoo and have a cub of their own!!
From December 16th, 2011 the giant pandas will be on show at the Edinburgh Zoo. The viewing sessions will take 20 minutes. Have in mind that the numbers for each session will be limited and tickets for the viewing are going to be in high demand so booking in advance is essential.
Click here for more information about the viewing sessions and for online booking.
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