Edinburgh Zoo's celebrity guests, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, met their public today. The breeding pair of giant pandas arrived in Edinburgh on 4th December 2011 and were given time to get over their jet lag before being displayed to the general public.
In this video, Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland talks about how the pandas are settling in to their new enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo.
The Telegraph has a video showing people's reactions on the first day, and an earlier video by Sky News shows the pandas native home in China before being flown to Edinburgh. The pandas, who are on loan from the Chinese government, will cost Edinburgh Zoo £600,000 a year, plus another £70,000 in imported bamboo. The pair of pandas eat their way through more than 1,000kg of bamboo a month.
Panda Cams
Edinburgh Zoo plans on installing video cameras – or ‘panda-cams’ – in strategic locations around the giant pandas’ enclosure, allowing people to view the creatures throughout the day over the internet.
The plan is for two panda-cams to be hidden in both the male and female enclosures with live feeds during daylight hours. Initially, only the male panda Yang Guang will be in view via the internet, while the female panda, Tian Tian will be visible to members of Royal Zoological Society of Scotland using a special ‘members only’ portal.
The exact locations of the cameras have yet to be confirmed, but the cams should show the pandas in action – whether it be swimming in their custom built pool, climbing trees, sleeping in their cave or enjoying their favourite snack of bamboo.
“Education is at the forefront of Edinburgh Zoo’s role in supporting giant panda conservation, and our panda-cams will allow a wider, global audience to learn more about these elusive animals," said Hugh Roberts, Chief Executive of the Zoo.
“It means that, wherever you are, you will have the chance to be part of Edinburgh Zoo’s panda experience - even if you can’t make it to the Zoo in person. We hope that our viewing site will spark a global panda debate, proving that our pandas have a genuine world-wide impact and appeal.
The panda-cams follow Edinburgh Zoo’s successful penguin-cam which went viral during the bad weather of November 2010. More than 200,000 viewers logged on worldwide to watch the penguins frolicking in the heavy snow.