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Chinese panda couple head for Australia

2009-11-27 15:09 BJT

YA'AN, Sichuan, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A giant panda couple will leave their southwest China home Friday for a 10-year stay in Australia, the first of the endangered species to live in the southern hemisphere.

Four-year-old Wang Wang and 3-year-old Fu Ni left the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center in Ya'an, Sichuan Province, at 10:15 a.m, for a three-hour journey to the provincial capital, Chengdu.

They will catch an afternoon flight to Australia.

Wang Wang, meaning "the web", and Fu Ni, meaning "happy girl", will stay at Adelaide Zoo.

They would need about a month to fully adapt to the new environment and were likely to produce offspring in two years, said Zhang Hemin, China's top giant panda specialist who's known as the "father" of pandas.

Huang Yan, a panda researcher at Ya'an center, said Fu Ni would enter full sexual maturity in 2012, when Wang Wang would also be in the reproductive period.

At a brief farewell ceremony at the Ya'an center Friday, Dr. Wayne Roardman, of Adelaide Zoo, said he hoped the pandas would enjoy life in Australia and have cubs soon.

China and Australia agreed to conduct joint research on giant pandas in 2007. The research program focuses on the breeding, reproduction and behavioral study of the rare species.

"The departure of Wang Wang and Fu Ni marks a formal beginning of such cooperation," said Zhong Yi, an official in charge of international cooperation at China Wildlife Conservation Association.

"They will bring laughter to Australians, and will cement the friendship between the Chinese and Australian peoples."

Factbox

Wang Wang, the male panda, was born on Aug. 31, 2005, at China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in Sichuan's Wolong Nature Reserve. He is half-brother to Yuan Yuan, the female panda sent to Taiwan. His mother died in last year's May 12 earthquake.

Wang Wang, whose name means "the web," is gentle and tame. He weighs 115 kilograms.

Fu Ni, meaning "happy girl", was born on Aug. 23, 2006, in Wolong and weighs 90 kilograms. She was one of the eight "Olympic pandas" in exhibition at Beijing Zoo for nine months until March.

Fu Ni has a tuft of hair standing like a crown on her head, a round face and a small mouth. She's lively and enjoys climbing trees and frolicking in water.

Fu Ni has a twin brother called Fu Wa, the same name as the five mascots for the Beijing Olympic Games.

Both Wang Wang and Fu Ni moved to Ya'an after their homes in Wolong were destroyed in last year's earthquake.

Their flight will take off from Chengdu Friday afternoon and arrive in Australia early Saturday.

Editor: Su Yu | Source: Xinhua