Giant pandas to come to Scotland
A pair of giant pandas will soon be moving from China
into a new home at Edinburgh Zoo.
They will be the first giant pandas to come to the UK for 17
years.
Pandas are an endangered species and the Chinese
people consider them to be a 'national treasure'.
Securing the pandas for Scotland is a great achievement for
Edinburgh Zoo. Only three animal sanctuaries in Europe - in Berlin,
Madrid, and Vienna - contain giant pandas.
Tian Tian and Yangguang, a breeding pair of giant pandas born in
2003, will move to their new home at Edinburgh Zoo within a few
months.
For five years The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS)
has been trying to reach an agreement with breeders and researchers
in China to allow pandas to come to Scotland.
This week a historic agreement was signed in London between RZSS
and the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association to allow the
pandas to come here.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, and Mr Liu Xiaoming,
ambassador of China to the UK, were present when the agreement was
signed.
David Windmill, from RZSS, said: "It represents the beginning of
a programme of research, education and partnership and the project
has huge benefits for the UK and Scotland, both in supporting giant
panda conservation and in enhancing our programmes in education,
science and conservation."
Mr Liu Xiaoming said the gift of the pandas symbolised
friendship between the two nations.
He said: "Pandas are a Chinese national treasure.
"This historical agreement is a gift to the people of the UK
from China. It will represent an important symbol of our friendship
and will bring our two people closer together."
This could not come at a better time for Edinburgh Zoo, which a
charity and receives no public finds to manage the attraction. In
recent years the numbers of visitors has been falling and some
parts have had to close.
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Giant pandas to come to Scotland
King penguins were the most popular choice for people
sponsoring a creature at Edinburgh Zoo, according to recent
figures.
In all, 180 people sponsored king penguins and other types of
penguins came in second and third during 2010. The gentoo penguin
had 106 supporters and 99 people sponsored a rockhopper
penguin.
King penguins were one of the very first species to be kept at
Edinburgh Zoo when it opened in 1913 and six years later the zoo
became the first place in the world to successfully breed captive
penguins.
A King penguin features on the zoo's logo because of the
important part they have played in the zoo's history, and to
highlight its successes in conservation.
The flightless birds have proved a hit in films such as Happy
Feet and March of the Penguins and are still stars of the show at
Edinburgh Zoo, where they stroll out in a daily parade.
At the Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie in the Highlands,
which is also run by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
(RZSS) the polar bear was the top choice for sponsors, with 111
people adopting one. In second place was the wildcat, which 84
people adopted.
It is one of Britain's rarest mammals with possibly as few as
400 left in the wild.
The Amur tiger, chosen by 77 people, was the
third most popular choice for adopters at the Highland Wildlife
Park.
The big cats are now found only in pockets in the far east of
Russia and on the north east border of China.
There are estimated to be around 450 left in the wild. With this
week's news that giant pandas are coming to Edinburgh, the zoo has
now made them available to adopt, along with the other recent
arrivals to the zoo, the sun bears. Sun bears, from the tropical
rainforests of Southeast Asia are one of the rarest species of bear
on the planet, and are also the smallest of all bears.
They can be recognised by their crescent-shaped patch of light
golden fur on their chests - said to resemble the rising sun. They
have small, rounded ears, a broad muzzle and a long tongue which
they use to reach honey and insects from inside trees.
RZSS lets people sponsor a creature at the zoo or wildlife park
for a year through its adoption scheme.
Money raised goes towards
the general care and upkeep of the animals, and helps pay for food,
veterinary care and heating the enclosures. It also can help to
contribute towards conservation and research work.
Tracy Hope, from RZSS said: "Our animals need care 365 days a
year, and by adopting an animal you can contribute to this."
There are more than 100 different species of animal that can be
'adopted' for as little as £40 for the year. For £175 a year,
adopters can see their name in the animal's enclosure and even have
a private tour of the zoo.
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