Arrival of giant pandas ignites mania in Indonesia

JAKARTA - A giant panda pair from China arrived in Indonesian capital Jakarta on Thursday on a 10-year joint research lease, making Indonesia one of the 16 countries and regions to host and help breed the endangered bear species.

The 7-year-olds landed at Jakarta's international airport from Chengdu.

Cai Tao, a male bear weighing 127 kilograms and female bear Hu Chun, weighing 120 kg, will be transferred to a 4,800-square-meter panda park at Taman Safari zoo, located 75 kilometers south of Jakarta and 1,700 meters above sea level to ensure that the pandas are at a similar altitude to their hometown.

The pandas will be available for public viewing a month later after the quarantine period.

Panda mania hit the vast archipelago when the arrival date of the couple was announced last week as Indonesians will see the cuddly animal near home rather than taking a long trip abroad.

Putri Rosmalia, a journalist from Indonesia's Media Indonesia newspaper, said she has been expecting the pandas for years and planned to write more stories about them.

She said she hoped the pandas enjoyed their stay in the country and "have baby pandas soon".

The furry ambassadors, regarded by Chinese as national treasures, are adored worldwide as envoys for friendship.

There are less than 1,900 pandas in their only wild habitats in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu.

Xinhua

(China Daily 09/29/2017 page12)