Adelaide Zoo’s new pandas have gone public and are already seemingly right at home.
A month after their arrival from China, Xing Qiu and Yi Lan are out of quarantine and have made their grand debut in the zoo’s bamboo forest, captivating crowds with their playful antics.
Yi Lan, the younger of the pair, was particularly active, climbing trees and investigating a welcome gift, much to the delight of onlookers.
The pandas’ arrival marks a significant milestone, as they are the only pandas in the Southern Hemisphere at the moment.
“Yi Lan is an incredibly cheeky young panda and it’s something we’re really looking forward to sharing with the community and Xing Qiu is definitely settling in,” Dr Phil Ainsley from Adelaide Zoo said.
During their quarantine period, Xing Qiu and Yi Lan underwent careful acclimatisation to their new environment and the Australian climate.
Now there’s a new wait, for the pair to reach breeding age.
“We cross our fingers that who knows, maybe these two new pandas get along particularly well and may well produce another panda here in the Southern Hemisphere,” South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas said.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
