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Disinformation report hotline: 010-85061466
A photo taken on November 30, 2023, shows giant panda Yang Guang at Edinburgh Zoo, as visitors enjoyed one final opportunity to bid farewell to him before zookeepers finalized preparations for his return to China from the UK. /CFP
On Tuesday morning Beijing time, giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived safely at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport after spending 12 years residing in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. "Time to say a giant farewell," posted Edinburgh Zoo on its website, in a farewell message to the beloved bears.
A photo taken on December 4, 2023, shows giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian in metal crates being loaded onto a China Southern cargo plane at Edinburgh Airport to begin their journey back to China. /CFP
A few days earlier, despite the pandas being in quarantine, local residents and tourists braved the severe cold to visit the zoo and bid farewell to them after learning about their imminent return to China.
A photo taken on November 30, 2023, shows members of the media gathering at the enclosures of giant pandas Yang Guang and Tian Tian at Edinburgh Zoo, as visitors enjoyed one last chance to say farewell before their return to China from the UK. /CFP
Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived in the United Kingdom in December 2011 as part of a 10-year agreement between the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which was later extended by two years due to the pandemic.
Their arrival marked the return of giant pandas to the United Kingdom after a 17-year hiatus, generating immense joy and excitement among the locals. Edinburgh Zoo had prepared a festive atmosphere to welcome them, complete with a new home featuring a bamboo forest, a cozy sleeping den, climbing structures and a play pool.
A file photo shows female panda Tian Tian in her enclosure at Edinburgh Zoo. UK. /CFP
According to the official website of Edinburgh Zoo, David Field, RZSS Chief Executive, commented on the impact of the pandas: "With more than a million species at risk of extinction and our natural world in crisis, Yang Guang and Tian Tian have had an incredible impact by inspiring millions of people to care about nature. That added interest in the panda’s departure this year has allowed us to connect many more people with the conservation causes that RZSS is actively involved with, and with nature more generally."