10 Expo Pandas Greet Shanghai in New Year

01/14/2010 18:40:50

"Perfect Ten" expo pandas were transferred to Shanghai, host city of 2010 World Expo, for one-year-long display on January 5th, 2010.

The 10 pandas, six females and four males, include two twins, said Li Desheng, deputy director of Wolong National Nature Reserve. They were all born in Bifengxia Breeding Base after the massive, disastrous Wenchuan Earthquake of May 12th, 2008. First pandas born are panda twins: Ping Ping and An An, whose names were given by Chinese Netizens after a nation-wide poll, meaning "safe" and "peace". Another panda is named Ao Yun which means "Olympics" because he was born on August 8th, 2008, the opening day of Beijing Olympic Games. They now live together as a harmonious family.

They took a carted flight from Bifengxia Panda base, a world famous panda breeding research base, in Ya'an City, Sichuan Province. After about 3 hours' flying, "Perfect Ten" were landed in Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, safe and sound, and were immediately escorted by local carers to Shanghai Zoo, one of their new homes.

As 2010 Shanghai Expo Image Ambassadors, they will be displayed in Shanghai Zoo in the first half of 2010; in the other half, they will meet their fans in Shanghai Wildlife Park. Both zoos have built new, or renovated existing, exhibition areas and established bamboo supply bases to ensure sufficient food for the "National Treasure". After one or two weeks time to adapt to their new houses, they are expected to meet visitors in the end of January.

Local residents are very excited about the arrival of "Perfect Ten" and wanna a soon visit to the cute big guys. Travelers and tourists also could have a pleasant leisure moment in the Zoo, enjoying an intimate contact with these pandas. Of course, the best way is to plan a Shanghai tour, covering Shanghai Expo visits and intimate contacts with pandas; you could also enjoy other highlights of Shanghai, China's largest city famed as Oriental Paris.

"Perfect Ten" in Bifengxia Panda Base before heading to Shanghai

Let me have a look, buddy!