BEIJING (AP) — Two giant pandas have flown from China to Scotland, where they will become the first pandas to live in Britain in nearly two decades.
The pandas, named Tian Tian and Yang Guang — or Sweetie and Sunshine — munched on bamboo at Chengdu airport ahead of their trip and arrived in Edinburgh later Sunday.
The pandas are to stay for 10 years at Edinburgh Zoo, where officials hope they will breed during their stay.
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland will pay more than 600,000 pounds ($935,000) a year to China for the loan of Sweetie and Sunshine, not including the expense of imported bamboo.
Britain’s last giant panda lived in London Zoo until 1994, when it was returned to China.
