Back in January we learnt that giant pandas would return to the UK and now there are hopefully only a few weeks to go until their arrival! The pair which are named Tian Tian (sweet) and Yangguang (sunlight) will live at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland. The arrival of the pandas will be a fantastic Christmas and New Year gift as they are expected to arrive by the end of this year.
Tian Tian and Yangguang are a pair of breeding pandas that were born in 2003 and Edinburgh Zoo will play its part in the essential global breeding programme. It’s estimated that there may only be 1,500 to 2,000 pandas left in the wild. The earthquake in Sichuan Province in May 2008 seriously affected both the numbers of pandas at the Wolong Nature Reserve and in the wild. The number of pandas lost from the wild may never be known. The Wolong Panda Breeding Centre (which is where Tian Tian and Yangguang will come from) was established in 1963 and six pandas escaped as a result of the earthquake.
Edinburgh Zoo has published an FAQ section all about the panda’s arrival. So get set for ‘pandamania’ as soon as the final date is agreed. The last panda to live in the UK was when Ming Ming lived at London Zoo until she was returned to China in 1994.
And if you can’t wait for the pandas to arrive we have posted a complete list of all 17 places to see giant pandas in the world.
