A pair of giant pandas, a state gift to South Korea from China, arrived in Seoul on Thursday on a 15-year lease, marking the first time in 22 years that the endangered bear species enters the South Korean territory for joint research purpose.
Yuan Xin, a three-year-old male, and Hua Ni, a two-year-old female, arrived at the Incheon International Airport at around 14:20 local time by a special flight of South Korea's main flagship carrier Korean Air from China's southwestern city of Chengdu.
A small celebration was held at the airport to welcome the pair's arrival in their new home. The event was attended by hundreds of journalists and officials from both countries
The pair was given new names, Aibao and Lebao.
The two pandas started their trip from the Dujiangyan Base in southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Wednesday.
Worrying that the two pandas may feel uncomfortable on plane, a veterinarian said panda keepers prepared a lot for this cross-border trip.
"In the past, we have given a series of training to pandas, such as getting loaded and getting them into cages, and letting them get familiar with the surroundings. But long-distance transportation still has some impact on the pandas,” said Ling Shanshan, the veterinarian from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.
The male panda, Lebao, was born in July 2012. He loves playing water and climbing trees. The female panda, Aibao, was born in July 2013. Both were born in Ya’an of Sichuan Province.
The pair will live in the 3,300-square-meter Panda World at Everland, South Korea's largest theme park about 40 km from capital Seoul.
They will be fed with selected bamboos. A South Korean keeper went to Sichuan earlier to study making food for pandas and to establish contact with the pandas.
Many souvenirs related to the pandas have been shown at the Panda World.
South Korean residents hope that the pandas can adapt to the new environment soon so that they can meet the public as soon as possible.
"Pandas are very cute. I am really looking forward to seeing them. Once it is unveiled to the public, I will come to see,” said a South Korean resident.
The pair will meet the public after one-month adjustment.
More on: cctvplus.tv/NewJsp/news.jsp?fi...
Subscribe us on KZfaq: / @cctvvideonewsagency
CCTV+ official website: newscontent.cctv.com/
LinkedIn: / cctv-news-content
Facebook: / 756877521031964
Twitter: / newscontentplus