Panda enthusiasts have just two more weeks to say goodbye to Britain’s only giant pandas.
From Thursday 30 November, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) will be restricting access to Yang Guang and Tian Tian’s enclosure as the panda pair prepare to return to China. After that date, the iconic animals may be out of sight as the wildlife conservation charity’s keepers ready the bears for the journey home in early December.
David Field, RZSS Chief Executive, said, “With more than a million species at risk of extinction and our natural world in crisis, Yang Guang and Tian Tian have had an incredible impact by inspiring millions of people to care about nature. That added interest in the panda’s departure this year has allowed us to connect many more people with the conservation causes that RZSS is actively involved with, and with nature more generally.
“Through scientific research by our expert veterinary and keeper teams, working alongside the University of Edinburgh, we have made a significant contribution to our understanding around giant panda fertility, husbandry, and veterinary care - which has been of real benefit to efforts to protect this amazing species in China.
“It is encouraging that in recent years the outlook for giant pandas in the wild has improved, which gives real hope for the future.”
Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived in Scotland in December 2011 as part of a ten-year agreement between RZSS and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, which was later extended by two years.
Related Members
-
NewsBlog: The Long (but Slow) Walk Home - Restoring Elongated Tortoise Populations in Cambodia’s Forests 7th October, 2025Jack Willis (Angkor Centre for Conservation of Biodiversity) on tortoise conservation returning one Critically Endangered species to the Cambodian…
-
NewsBIAZA Tribute to Jane Goodall 2nd October, 2025BIAZA is deeply saddened to learn about the death of world-leading primatologist Dame Dr Jane Goodall. Jane was a shining light in the environmental movement…
-
NewsBlog: A call to arms (or paws!) - Raising the profile of the charismatic red squirrel 1st October, 2025With Red Squirrel Awareness Week coming up, Judi Dunn (Animal Registrar, Wildwood Trust) tells us where we are in the story of red squirrel conservation...and…