Two giant pandas set out for Finland from Sichuan

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Europe

People in Finland will soon get the opportunity to see giant pandas cup close. On Wednesday morning, five-year-old Hua Bao (华豹) and four-year-old Jin Baobao (金宝宝) set out from the Dujiangyan panda base in southwest China’s Sichuan Province for the northern European country following a farewell ceremony.

The pair will inhabit the Ähtäri Zoo located some 300 kilometers from the capital Helsinki for the next 15 years. The zoo has spent 8.2 million euros building a special panda house for the new guests, covering an area of about 6,000 square kilometers.

Giant panda Hua Bao plays in a tree. /CGTN Photo

A keeper and a veterinarian from China will accompany the pair in Finland until they get used to the new environment. Huang Shan, the keeper, said that for their long journey, staff had prepared 120 kilograms of bamboo, 30 kilograms of bamboo shoots and some wowotou - a kind of steamed corn bread - and carrots for the pair of “national treasures".

Prior to their arrival, the two pandas were given Finnish names decided in a public vote organized by the country’s MTV channel. The male panda Hua Bao has been named Pyrv, and female Jin Baobao named Lumi.

Giant panda Jin Baobao sits on a lawn. /CGTN Photo

The agreement to loan the pandas was signed in April 2017 when Chinese President Xi Jinping paid a state visit to Finland. According to the protocol, Hua Bao and Jin Baobao will stay in the country for 15 years for scientific research. During this period, the two sides are expected to have close cooperation in panda breeding and protection.

Anna Palmroth, head panda keeper from the Ähtäri Zoo, told CGTN that the weather in Ähtäri is similar to Sichuan during the winter, and so she believed the pandas will adapt to their new home quickly. She added that the zoo will keep close contact with the panda base in China on breeding and conservation in the coming years.

Staff of CCRCGP, volunteers and reporters bid farewell to the Finland-bound giant pandas. /CGTN Photo

As the country’s largest base for giant panda scientific research and protection, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) has established partnerships with 13 countries, with more than 30 pandas currently living in 15 different zoos around the world. Another two bases of the center are located in Sichuan’s Ya’an and Wolong, respectively.

The two pandas are expected to arrive in Helsinki around 10 am Thursday local time.