Last opportunity to visit Edinburgh Zoo's giant pandas before their return to China.

Edinburgh Zoo is giving visitors a final opportunity to see its giant pandas before they return to China. The pandas, Tian Tian and Yang Guang, will be going back in December as part of a 10-year loan agreement. The loan was extended by two years due to the Covid pandemic, but the exact return date is being kept confidential. To prepare for their departure, the zoo will restrict access to the pandas starting from November 30th. Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived in Scotland in 2011, with the zoo paying an annual fee of £750,000 to China. However, despite numerous attempts at artificial insemination, the pandas have failed to produce offspring. In 2021, after eight unsuccessful attempts, the breeding program was halted. The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which manages the zoo, acknowledges the significant impact Tian Tian and Yang Guang have had in raising awareness about nature and conservation. RZSS CEO David Field stated that the pandas' departure has allowed the organization to engage more people with conservation causes. Additionally, through collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, the zoo has contributed valuable research on giant panda fertility, husbandry, and veterinary care. Field is optimistic about the future of giant pandas in the wild, noting that their outlook has improved in recent years. This improvement provides hope for the long-term preservation of this incredible species in China.