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Tourism boost for Edinburgh as giant pandas arrive in the UK from China
By TRAVELMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:57 PM on 5th December 2011
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Two giant pandas are expected to attract thousands of tourists to Edinburgh after they arrived in the Scottish capital from China.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang landed at Edinburgh Airport at 1pm on a specially-chartered non-stop flight yesterday.
The eight-year-old breeding pair are the first pandas to live in the UK for almost 20 years and will live in Edinburgh Zoo for the next 10 years.
Star attraction: Yang Guang settles into his new home at Edinburgh Zoo
Tian Tian, whose name means sweetie, and Yang Guang, meaning sunlight, travelled from China on board a Boeing 777F flight dubbed the FedEx Panda Express, along with a vet and two animal handlers.
Four pilots with extensive experience in transporting some of the world's most precious cargo, including white rhinos and penguins, were also on the flight.
The animals, who were given an in-flight meal of bamboo, apples, carrots and a special panda cake, were greeted at the airport by a large media presence, including foreign journalists.
The FedEx plane touched down just after 1pm, with the first sighting of the pandas at around 1.40pm.
They were unloaded from the aircraft to the sound of bagpipes and cheers, with female panda Tian Tian brought out first.
Special delivery: The pandas travelled on board a Boeing 777F flight dubbed the FedEx 'Panda Express'
Their arrival marks the culmination of a five-year effort to bring the giant pandas to Scotland.
They will now have two weeks to settle into their new enclosure before going on display to the public on 16 December.
A spokesman for the zoo said the two pandas had spent the first night at their new home sleeping off the effects of jet lag.
He said: 'They are experiencing a little bit of jet lag, just like anyone else would after a long flight, but apart from that they are fine.
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'They have two hours sleep, wake up, get fed, and then go back to sleep. They are eating well.
'We are working now on getting them into a routine after their first night. But they are frolicking around in their new inside enclosure and it's so far, so good.'
Sweetie and Sunlight were born in 2003 and lived at the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China.
During their time in Edinburgh, they will be in the care of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
Online footage of the two animals, from four hidden panda-cams in their enclosures, is expected to attract viewers from around the world.
Precious cargo: Tian Tian is unloaded from the plane at Edinburgh Airport
Their new homes, which cost £275,000 to build, were designed by animal psychologists to stimulate their natural habitat.
They come complete with dens, 'his and her' pools, a viewing platform and specially-shaped rocks that the pandas can lie back on while they chew their bamboo.
Each bear will have a climbing frame that will enable them to see each other over the tops of their enclosures and there is also a special love tunnel where the pair can meet if they are feeling amorous.
It is hoped that the pandas will eventually give birth to cubs and a special nursery has been built for any offspring.
Welcoming committee: Locals lined to streets to greet the pandas as they arrived in the Scottish capital
Edinburgh Zoo is to grow about 15% of the bamboo needed to feed the giant pandas. The rest of the plant is to be imported from Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The bamboo will cost the zoo £70,000 a year and it is paying the Chinese around £636,000 a year for the privilege of having the pandas.
Zoo bosses have described their arrival as an historic occasion for the visitor attraction and the UK as a whole.
The Scottish Government and tourism officials hope the animals' presence will boost the economy and visitor numbers to the country.
Visitor numbers at the zoo are expected to rise by 70% in the first year of the pandas arrival and the zoo can expect even more visitors if the pair have cubs.
There has already been huge interest from the public and last week the zoos ticket website crashed due to a surge in demand.
Hefty food bill: The pandas' bamboo will cost Edinburgh Zoo £70,000 a year
Scottish ministers also said the loan of the pandas symbolises a growing friendship between Scotland and China.
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore was at the airport to welcome the pandas. He said: The arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang in Scotland marks another significant chapter in the relationship between China and the UK.
The pair will be a huge asset to the Zoo and Edinburgh and today marks the culmination of a great deal of work by UK Government ministers and officials to bring the pandas here.
That has been made possible by our influence on the world stage and our international network of relations. The pandas are a symbol of the regard in which the UK is held around the world. I have no doubt they will prove a huge attraction and warmly welcome them to their new home here in Scotland.
However animal welfare campaigners have criticised the move, suggesting it has more to do with commercial deals and was not a credible way to go about saving the endangered species.
BOOK YOUR TRAVEL CALL 0808 230 1002
Read more: Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang to give tourist boost to Edinburgh | Mail Online
By TRAVELMAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 12:57 PM on 5th December 2011
Comments (2)
Share
Two giant pandas are expected to attract thousands of tourists to Edinburgh after they arrived in the Scottish capital from China.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang landed at Edinburgh Airport at 1pm on a specially-chartered non-stop flight yesterday.
The eight-year-old breeding pair are the first pandas to live in the UK for almost 20 years and will live in Edinburgh Zoo for the next 10 years.
Star attraction: Yang Guang settles into his new home at Edinburgh Zoo
Tian Tian, whose name means sweetie, and Yang Guang, meaning sunlight, travelled from China on board a Boeing 777F flight dubbed the FedEx Panda Express, along with a vet and two animal handlers.
Four pilots with extensive experience in transporting some of the world's most precious cargo, including white rhinos and penguins, were also on the flight.
The animals, who were given an in-flight meal of bamboo, apples, carrots and a special panda cake, were greeted at the airport by a large media presence, including foreign journalists.
The FedEx plane touched down just after 1pm, with the first sighting of the pandas at around 1.40pm.
They were unloaded from the aircraft to the sound of bagpipes and cheers, with female panda Tian Tian brought out first.
Special delivery: The pandas travelled on board a Boeing 777F flight dubbed the FedEx 'Panda Express'
Their arrival marks the culmination of a five-year effort to bring the giant pandas to Scotland.
They will now have two weeks to settle into their new enclosure before going on display to the public on 16 December.
A spokesman for the zoo said the two pandas had spent the first night at their new home sleeping off the effects of jet lag.
He said: 'They are experiencing a little bit of jet lag, just like anyone else would after a long flight, but apart from that they are fine.
More...
Eiffel Tower 'jungle' plan is dismissed
Britons to opt for familiar hotspots in 2012
Bulgaria listed as best for bargain ski deals
'They have two hours sleep, wake up, get fed, and then go back to sleep. They are eating well.
'We are working now on getting them into a routine after their first night. But they are frolicking around in their new inside enclosure and it's so far, so good.'
Sweetie and Sunlight were born in 2003 and lived at the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China.
During their time in Edinburgh, they will be in the care of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
Online footage of the two animals, from four hidden panda-cams in their enclosures, is expected to attract viewers from around the world.
Precious cargo: Tian Tian is unloaded from the plane at Edinburgh Airport
Their new homes, which cost £275,000 to build, were designed by animal psychologists to stimulate their natural habitat.
They come complete with dens, 'his and her' pools, a viewing platform and specially-shaped rocks that the pandas can lie back on while they chew their bamboo.
Each bear will have a climbing frame that will enable them to see each other over the tops of their enclosures and there is also a special love tunnel where the pair can meet if they are feeling amorous.
It is hoped that the pandas will eventually give birth to cubs and a special nursery has been built for any offspring.
Welcoming committee: Locals lined to streets to greet the pandas as they arrived in the Scottish capital
Edinburgh Zoo is to grow about 15% of the bamboo needed to feed the giant pandas. The rest of the plant is to be imported from Amsterdam in the Netherlands.
The bamboo will cost the zoo £70,000 a year and it is paying the Chinese around £636,000 a year for the privilege of having the pandas.
Zoo bosses have described their arrival as an historic occasion for the visitor attraction and the UK as a whole.
The Scottish Government and tourism officials hope the animals' presence will boost the economy and visitor numbers to the country.
Visitor numbers at the zoo are expected to rise by 70% in the first year of the pandas arrival and the zoo can expect even more visitors if the pair have cubs.
There has already been huge interest from the public and last week the zoos ticket website crashed due to a surge in demand.
Hefty food bill: The pandas' bamboo will cost Edinburgh Zoo £70,000 a year
Scottish ministers also said the loan of the pandas symbolises a growing friendship between Scotland and China.
Scottish Secretary Michael Moore was at the airport to welcome the pandas. He said: The arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang in Scotland marks another significant chapter in the relationship between China and the UK.
The pair will be a huge asset to the Zoo and Edinburgh and today marks the culmination of a great deal of work by UK Government ministers and officials to bring the pandas here.
That has been made possible by our influence on the world stage and our international network of relations. The pandas are a symbol of the regard in which the UK is held around the world. I have no doubt they will prove a huge attraction and warmly welcome them to their new home here in Scotland.
However animal welfare campaigners have criticised the move, suggesting it has more to do with commercial deals and was not a credible way to go about saving the endangered species.
BOOK YOUR TRAVEL CALL 0808 230 1002
Read more: Giant pandas Tian Tian and Yang Guang to give tourist boost to Edinburgh | Mail Online
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