THOUSANDS of people are expected to pass through the gates of Edinburgh Zoo when pandas from China first go on view to the public next month.
Scotland’s first pair of breeding giant pandas will arrive on Sunday. They will then acclimatise before meeting their public on December 16.
It is thought as many as a million visitors will view the pandas in their first year, which would almost double the zoo’s current annual visitor tally of about 600,000.
Tickets must be pre-booked, and not long after the debut date was revealed a surge of demand caused the zoo’s ticket booking system to crash. Staff said it was fixed shortly afterwards.
The zoo said yesterday that the capacity is set at 3360 a day, or 420 an hour.
Groups will be led through viewing areas and it will take about 20 minutes to complete a tour.
The announcement of the pandas’ arrival follows a successful visit to Scotland’s capital in October by the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA), which has now given the final go-ahead for the pandas’ 10-year residence.
Born in 2003, Tian Tian -- Sweetie -- and Yang Guang -- Sunshine -- will be under the custodianship of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), owner of the zoo.
The arrival of the giant pandas represents the culmination of five years of political and diplomatic negotiation at the highest level, which was spearheaded by the RZSS.
Hugh Roberts, chief executive of Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We have been looking forward to this moment for five years now, since we first embarked on this epic journey to bring the giant pandas to Scotland. The arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang is a historic occasion for the zoo, for Scotland, and for the UK as a whole.
“The giant pandas will be on loan to us for an initial period of 10 years, in which time we are hopeful that the female, Tian Tian, will give birth to cubs -- the first to be born in Scotland.”
Dr Chunlin Zang, the secretary general of the CWCA, added: “With this historic arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang, our collaboration has entered a new stage. Together, we are looking forward to playing an important role in future giant panda research and conservation.”
The agreement to send the giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo has been widely greeted as a symbol of the closer partnership between China and the UK.
Liu Xiaoming, China’s ambassador to the UK, said: “Tian Tian and Yang Guang’s arrival in the UK is part of a 10-year joint research programme to find out how human-bred pandas can survive in the wild.
“At its core, the project represents the growing scientific ties between China and Britain.
“But this is about much more than conservation. It is also about science, culture, education and above all friendship and partnership. Through these themes we expect pandas to bring China and Britain even closer together.”
Tian Tian and Yang Guang will arrive after being transported on an adapted plane.
FedEx Express is donating its logistical services to transport the giant pandas from China to Scotland. The pandas will travel on board a FedEx Express Boeing 777 Freighter in Panda livery -- known as the FedEx Panda Express.
The aircraft’s long-range capability will allow the pandas to fly non-stop to their new home in Edinburgh, ensuring they will spend the minimum possible amount of time in the air.
The giant panda project will be funded entirely from charitable donations from the RZSS and through sponsorship, offering opportunities in terms of international corporate, commercial and diplomatic relationships between China and the UK.
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