Alex Trelinski
TWO giant pandas have arrived in Spain on a flight from China, and will settle in to their new home- for the next few years- at Madrid Zoo.
Coming in on a direct Air China service from Chengdu, Jin Xi and Zhu Yu, landed on Monday at the cargo terminal of Madrid Airport.
After their arrival, Madrid Zoo’s veterinary and conservation team, as well as the Guardia Civil’s environmental unit Seprona, took them to their new home.
READ MORE:
- Adorable twin PANDAS Youyou and JiuJiu celebrate their birthday at Madrid Zoo as they tuck into their favourite bamboo ice cream treat
- Pink-skinned baby panda twins are born at Madrid Zoo in Spain
To ensure the health and safety of the pandas during the flight, specially-prepared transport cages were loaded with fresh bamboo and bamboo shoots.
More bamboo was on the menu for Jin Xi’s and Zhu Yu’s welcome dinner at Madrid Zoo.
The public will have to wait a while before meeting the new arrivals, with the next month being spent ensuring the couple are in good health.
They replace Hua Zui Ba, 20, and Bing Xing, 23, who left Madrid to return to Chengdu in late February- having been there since since 200.
In the past decade, they have had three offspring: Chulina, 7, and twins You You and Jiu Jiu, 2, who have also gone to China.
China has loaned its treasured bears to zoos in various countries over the years as goodwill animal ambassadors while also running conservation programmes back home that has improved their status from endangered to vulnerable.
Spain has been part of that programme for more than 40 years, hosting Chu Lin, the first panda born in captivity in Europe, for 14 years at Madrid Zoo in the 80s and 90s.
