A giant panda pair departed from southwest China's Sichuan Province on Wednesday, bound for Vienna, Austria, where they will spend the next decade as part of an ongoing conservation and research program between the two countries.
A Chinese veterinarian and an Austrian keeper will accompany the panda pair on board with supplies, including fresh bamboo, bamboo shoots, specially prepared steamed corn buns, water, and medications, according to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP).
The energetic and gentle panda pair was born in 2020. The male's name is "He Feng," and the female is "Lan Yun," referencing the freshness of lotus and the fragrance of orchids in Chinese.
Vienna's Schoenbrunn Zoo, with over 270 years of history and one of the oldest in the world, will house the two pandas. The zoo has upgraded its facilities to prepare for the arrival of the panda pair.
In March this year, a Chinese expert team visited the Austrian zoo to inspect the upgraded enclosure for the giant pandas. They offered technical guidance on the pandas' habitat conditions, food supply, and health care.
Two Austrian keepers were also sent to China earlier to become familiar with the pandas' behavior and dietary preferences.
The China Wildlife Conservation Association and the CCRCGP held a seeing-off ceremony for the two pandas on Tuesday.
"Upon arriving in Austria, the giant pandas will experience changes in climate, including differences in temperature, humidity, and habitat conditions. These changes may pose new challenges and require a period of adjustment. However, I believe that with the dedicated care of the Austrian team of keepers and veterinarians, the pandas will soon adapt well to their new surroundings," said Li Desheng, deputy director of the CCRCGP.
"We hope that after going abroad, the giant pandas will form a bond and successfully breed. The joint efforts in giant panda research, care, and breeding will also promote sci-tech and cultural exchanges between the two sides. We are confident in the success of this cooperation," said Li.
Upon their arrival in Vienna, the pandas will undergo quarantine. A Chinese keeper and veterinarian will remain in Austria to help them adapt to their new environment, the CCRCGP official said.
This latest exchange has continued over two decades of collaboration between China and Austria. Since 2003, the two countries formally began joint research on panda conservation, with notable successes in breeding, disease prevention, personnel training, and public education, among other areas.
China's iconic giant pandas, with their round faces, plump bodies, and signature markings, are beloved worldwide as cultural symbols and biodiversity emblems.
China's wild giant panda population has grown from around 1,100 in the 1980s to nearly 1,900. The global captive population of giant pandas now stands at 757, according to official data.
Thanks to the protection efforts, the International Union for Conservation of Nature downgraded the giant panda's status from endangered to vulnerable.
Two giant pandas depart for Austria to begin decade-long stay
Two giant pandas depart for Austria to begin decade-long stay
