Giant pandas arrived in the UK

Updated: 2011-12-05 16:47

(chinadaily.com.cn)

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Tian Tian, also known as sweetie, an eight year-old female panda, and Yang Guang, aka Sunshine, an eight year-old male panda from Chengdu's Bifengxia Panda Base, have travelled onboard the specially-decaled Boeing 777F-the world's largest twin-engine aircraft and the most fuel efficient wide-body in the FedEx fleet during the weekend.

Their arrival in Edinburgh marks the first time in more than 17 years that giant pandas will reside in the United Kingdom. The UK's last giant panda, Ming Ming, left London Zoo to return to China on October 26, 1994. Currently, conservationists estimate that only 1,600 pandas remain in the wild. Both Tian Tian and Yang Guang are part of global giant panda conservation programs, designed to increase the panda population.

Related story: Pandas' plane gets ready

Video footage: theNewsMarket

Video Editor: Lin Hanqing

Producer: Flora Yue