Scotland - 10 January 2011. Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop welcomes two giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo
UK - Scotland - 10 January 2011. Fiona Hyslop, Culture Minister. A historic agreement was signed today (10 January 2011) which will bring two giant pandas to Edinburgh Zoo, the first giant pandas to reside in the UK for 17 years. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which owns Edinburgh Zoo, and the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) came to agreement over transportation methods and terms of adoption. The giant pandas, Tian Tian and Yangguang, a breeding pair born in 2003, will be under the custodianship of RZSS at Edinburgh Zoo, a world leader in animal conservation. The project represents the culmination of five years of political and diplomatic negotiation at the highest level and it is anticipated the giant pandas will arrive in their new home as soon as a date is agreed. His Excellency Mr Liu Xiaoming, Ambassador of China to the UK 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.” Speaking about the arrangements for the giant pandas, director of animals, conservation and education, Iain Valentine, comments: “This marks the start of a long relationship with CWCA in which we hope to bring the expertise that exists with RZSS and within the UK to the conservation efforts of the captive and wild populations of giant pandas. These wonderful animals will be housed in a specially refurbished enclosure which was formerly home to our gorillas. The enclosure will offer a good mix of comfort and visibility so the public can see the couple as they settle into their new home. We are looking forward to welcoming a delegation from the CWCA to Edinburgh later this week to view the Zoo and discuss our plans in detail.” Welcoming the announcement, Culture and External Affairs Minister Fiona Hyslop said: “Edinburgh Zoo has a world-leading reputation for animal conservation and I am
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Location: Edinburgh Zoo, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, Europe
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Keywords: 10, 17, 2011, agreement, edinburgh, fiona, giant, historic, hyslop, january, panda, pandas, royal, signed, society, uk, years, zoo, zoological
