Panda pair to fly to Taiwan today

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-23 08:18

YA'AN, Sichuan -- A pair of giant pandas offered by the Chinese mainland are going to leave the Chinese mainland Tuesday for Taiwan.

The 4-year-old pandas, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan, whose names together mean "Reunion," have been living at a breeding base in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, since the May 12 strong earthquake which damaged their former home in Wolong.

The pair will be brought to Taiwan on the Taiwan-based Eva Air flight which arrived in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, on Monday.

After having their breakfast - carrot and steamed corn buns, the pair were caged and carried to an enclosed truck, which will carry them to the Shuangliu Airport in Chengdu.

Keepers said the pandas were in good condition.

A Taiwanese caretaker trains Yuan Yuan, one of the two pandas donated and to be sent by the Chinese mainland toTaiwan, at a panda breeding base in Ya'an county, southwestChina'sSichuanprovince, December 21, 2008. Three caretakers from the Taipei Mucha zoo came to Ya’an in two groups and have basically learned the breeding skills of pandas since October 2008. [Xinhua]

If weather permits, the plane will depart with the panda pair, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan at 2 pm Tuesday. It is expected to reach Taipei about three hours later.

Two staff, a panda keeper and a veterinarian, from the Wolong Nature Reserve in Sichuan will accompany the pandas to Taiwan.

A Taiwan caretaker trains Tuan Tuan, one of the two pandas donated and to be sent by the Chinese mainland toTaiwan, at a panda breeding base in Ya'an county, southwestChina'sSichuanprovince, December 21, 2008. [Xinhua]

They will bring with them a week's worth of the pandas' favorite food, such as steamed corn buns and fresh bamboo. Other necessities include medicines like motion-sickness pills.

After arriving in Taiwan, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan will be housed in a four-story building at the Taipei city zoo. They will have the first floor and an outdoor playground to themselves.

Five staff from the Taipei zoo have been at the breeding base in Sichuan since October to become familiar with the pandas.

The mainland announced in May 2005 it would donate two giant pandas to Taiwan. Their departure has been delayed for more than three years. Improved cross-Strait ties make their journey to Taiwan possible.

The pandas are expected to meet the public during the Spring Festival, the Chinese lunar new year, but this will depend on how they adapt to the new environment, Yang Hsiao-tung, director of Taipei's "department of information and tourism", said earlier.

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