Two adorable giant pandas have arrived in Australia after a long 15-hour flight from China.
Male panda Xing Qiu and female Yi Lan, both aged three, touched down in Adelaide today at 6am to mark the beginning of a 10-year loan from China in the hopes the pair will procreate.
The pandas will remain in Adelaide Zoo for a quarantine period of 30 days until they can officially welcome visitors in mid-January.
Fans of Xing Qiu and Yi Lan even waited near the airport to welcome the pandas to their home for the next decade.
One man, from China, told 9News he is excitedly waiting to see the pandas in the zoo.
“I love the pandas, I came here from China,” the man said outside Adelaide Airport.
It’s hoped the panda pair will mate and have little panda cubs during their time in Adelaide Zoo.
Giant pandas are vulnerable to extinction and a deal was struck between the zoo and its counterpart in China to foster an environment for panda offspring in Australia.
There will be an official welcoming ceremony for Xing Qiu and Yi Lan when their quarantine period ends early next year.
Their arrival follows the departure of much-loved giant pandas Wang Wang and Fui Ni, who lived in Adelaide Zoo from 2008 until this year.
They jetted back home to China after a 15-year stint in Australia and now the new pair of pandas will be the latest fluffy drawcard for Adelaide Zoo.
