The black-and-white duo made a grand entrance, with excited crowds cheering them on during their very first public debut.
As a welcome gift, the pandas were given special enrichment boxes, filled with panda cake, apples, and carrots, thanks to the zoo’s amazing volunteer team, BEEZA (Behavioural and Environmental Enrichment for Zoo Animals).
Elaine Bensted, Chief Executive of Zoos SA, said, “It’s a very special moment for everyone here at Zoos SA. It marks the next chapter in our Giant Panda journey and celebrates the important work we’re doing to protect this vulnerable species.”
Dr Phil Ainsley, Director of Adelaide Zoo, shared how well Yi Lan (pictured at top) and Xing Qiu (pictured below) have adapted to their new home.
“Yi Lan is full of energy and loves to explore, while Xing Qiu is a relaxed panda who loves munching on bamboo – he eats around 30kg every day!”
Yi Lan, who is three years old, is described as a playful panda who is very friendly with her keepers. Xing Qiu, four years old, is a gentle panda with a lively personality.
The pandas were chosen not only for their ability to settle into Adelaide Zoo, but also because they could become a breeding pair in the future. Giant Pandas usually start having babies between the ages of four and seven, and female pandas only mate once a year in spring.
These two pandas are part of an important conservation effort to help protect the species. There are only about 1,864 Giant Pandas left in the wild, and they now live in six major mountain ranges in China.
Thanks to the hard work of conservationists, Giant Pandas’ conservation status has improved from “endangered” to “vulnerable.” Adelaide Zoo is proud to be part of this global effort!
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