Pandas Arrive in Scotland

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TWO giant pandas arrived in Scotland overnight after a journey from China on a specially-fitted private plane.

Sunshine and Sweetie - the two seven-year-old pandas loaned to the zoo by the Chinese government - arrived at Edinburgh Airport on a FedEx-chartered Boeing 777.

Sweetie, the female panda whose Chinese name is Tian Tian, was lowered off the plane in her clear Perspex enclosure first, followed by Sunshine, also known as Yang Guang. The pair then began the short journey to Edinburgh Zoo.

The pandas were taken away from the public eye after arriving at the zoo to allow them to settle into their new enclosures, Sky News reported.

The public will be allowed to see the pandas during visits to the zoo from December 16, while four hidden "panda cams" in the enclosures will share the animals' adventures online.

Britain's deputy prime minister, Nick Clegg, said he was "delighted" by the arrival of the pandas.

"These two pandas will not just be a fantastic attraction, but their arrival in the UK will play an important part in efforts to save this magnificent but sadly threatened species," he said in a statement issued by the Foreign Office. "I know that a huge amount of work has gone into securing their loan, and they will be a great showcase for UK-China links in science and research."

Prior to their flight, the pandas were given a breakfast of carrots and protein cake and loaded into their crates, each labeled "one panda." While on board, they enjoyed an in-flight meal of bamboo. Adult pandas eat about four kilograms of the plant a day.

They were accompanied by Dr Tang Chunxiang, a veterinarian from China's Giant Panda Research Base.

The plane was flown by a team of four pilots, who all donned kilts in honor of the journey from Chengdu, western China, to Scotland.

The pandas' departure from China is the culmination of four years of campaigning by both the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and the British government.

The pandas are on loan to the UK for the next decade and will cost £600,000 ($916,000) a year. It is hoped that they will produce cubs.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/pandas-add-sunshine-to-scotland/story-e6frfkyi-1226213734963#ixzz1feIOqIZc