BERLIN (AFP) – Germany had its first taste of panda mania on Saturday (June 24) as two furry ambassadors arrived from China to begin a new life as stars of Berlin’s premier zoo..
BERLIN (AFP) – Germany had its first taste of panda mania on Saturday (June 24) as two furry ambassadors arrived from China to begin a new life as stars of Berlin’s premier zoo.
The pair, named Meng Meng and Jiao Qing, jetted in on a special Lufthansa cargo plane, accompanied by two Chinese panda specialists, the Berlin Zoo’s chief vet and a tonne of bamboo.
A crowd of journalists and officials on hand to welcome the VIPs let out an “ooooh” as Meng Meng raised a paw after flight LH8415 made an especially gentle touchdown at Schoenefeld airport.
The black and white pair, clearly groggy after the 12 hour 20 minute flight from Chengdu in southern China, lay resting in their travelling crates during the welcome ceremony in a hangar.
Until, that is, the Chinese ambassador to Berlin got a little too close, prompting Jiao Ling, the male, to stand up, roar and beat his paws against the plexiglass sides of the crate.
“From this evening, their German and Chinese handlers will stay with them… we’ ll do everything to help them calm down so they have a good night, eat well and rehydrate themselves, ” Berlin Zoo director Andreas Knieriem told AFP.
After just over a week’s acclimatisation, the pair will be unveiled to the public by no less than Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese President Xi Jinping, most likely two days before the Group of 20 summit of world leaders hosted by Germany.
Famed for its “panda diplomacy”, China has dispatched its national treasure to only about a dozen countries as a symbol of close relations.
