Officials have revealed that the giant pandas from Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland may depart as early as the end of October.
According to the terms of a 10-year loan that was given an additional two years owing to the Covid pandemic, both pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian must return to China.
Since their arrival in December 2011, the pair, who will not be replaced, have been unable to produce offspring.
The zoo has been paying China £750,000 yearly for the pandas.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which oversees Edinburgh Zoo, announced that more information on the pandas’ departure would be available closer to time.
Plans to bid the pandas a “giant farewell” have now been made public.
Yang Guang will be available for RZSS members, customers, and giant panda adopters to interact with and feed through the enclosure’s bars.
There will also be panda talks and brunch events available to everyone.
As the only giant pandas in the UK, according to RZSS Chief Executive David Field, they have been “incredibly popular with visitors”.
He said, “Through a new range of events and experiences, we will be providing as many opportunities as possible for people to say goodbye.”
“After the pandas leave, we will decide on a new species with a crucial factor being how we can support conservation in the wild,” he added.
The last artificial insemination attempt was made in 2021, the year the giant panda breeding program was discontinued, making a total of eight unsuccessful attempts.
Author-Roberta Appiah
