Society

Panda power arrives in time for Asian Games

By Zheng Caixiong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-10-28 08:26

GUANGZHOU - Six giant pandas were scheduled to arrive in this Guangdong provincial capital late Wednesday night to provide a cheer for the upcoming 16th Asian Games.

The pandas, four male and two female, will settle down in Guangzhou Xiangjiang Safari Park and join the six pandas already in the park to form an "Asian Games Panda Group".

A panda keeper at the Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base in Sichuan province carries a panda to a vehicle on Wednesday. [Liu Guiying / For China Daily]

The park is located in the city's Panyu district where the Asian Games Town is located. The Town will be home to about 30,000 athletes, coaches, reporters, technical officials and staff from 45 Asian nations and regions during the games from Nov 12 to 27.

Special Coverage: 16th Asian Games Guangzhou Related readings:  China names largest ever squad for Asian Games  Pandas to add joy to Asian Games city  Hurdler confident ahead of Asian Games  Airline to serve special meals for Asian Games

The pandas, which were all born last year, were handpicked from 70 at the Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base in Ya'an city, about a two-hour ride from Chengdu, capital of Southwest China's Sichuan province, according to Zhou Jiqiu, a senior animal keeper at the base.

"The oldest panda is 15 months old and the youngest is only 13 months old, which is equivalent to about a four-year-old child," Zhou said.

The six pandas are named Hao Hao, Yun Yun, Jin Ke, Yin Ke, Bo Si and Shen Wei, according to Zhou.

The pandas were trucked to Chengdu airport on Wednesday morning in preparation to be flown to Guangzhou.

They are expected to meet the public on Nov 2 after getting accustomed to their new environment.

In addition to special veterinarians, three experienced keepers from the base were expected to accompany the pandas to Guangzhou.

The panda keepers will stay in Guangzhou for at least six months while the pandas will spend a year in Xiangjiang Safari Park.

Zhou said that at first all the food for the pandas will be transported from the Bifeng Gorge Breeding Base.

"All the six Asian Games pandas are very healthy and in their weaning period," he said, adding that each panda can now eat 5 to 6 kilograms of bamboo shoots and is fed 1,400 grams of special milk powder every day.

Many Guangzhou residents have cheered for the arrival of the pandas.

Chen Xinwen, mother of a 6-year-old son, said pandas are really cute and she will certainly bring her son to see them.

"My son has never seen a real panda, let alone such lovely little ones," she said.

Pandas have been heavily involved in China's major international events in recent years.

In the spring of 2008, eight Sichuan-born pandas were sent to Beijing for the Olympic Games. Beijing Zoo authorities said 2.1 million people visited the Olympic pandas during their 10-month stay in the capital.

And 10 panda cubs from Sichuan are now in Shanghai for the World Expo, which is scheduled to conclude on Sunday.