Wang Wang
Adelaide Zoo chief executive Chris West, will be going to China to see the two pandas that will be inhabiting the new panda habitat at the Adelaide Zoo.
Fu Ni
ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) reports, on Sunday, Chris will have his first up-close encounter. "We want to be sure that they are as charming and as beautiful as we think they are, and we're also going to be meeting Chinese colleagues who work in conservation and research," he said.
There is a audio recording of his interview and a map showing where Adelaide is in Australia. Click on Giant Pandas bound for Adelaide
Here is the virtual video of the new panda habitat that is under construction. Thanks to hugwildlife of You Tube for sending us this article.
UPDATE!
Adelaide Now reports Zoos SA chief Dr Chris West and president Heather Caddick fed female Funi and watched male Wang Wang. They have travelled to Bifengxia Giant Panda Base in Sichuan, China, to see the pandas and talk with keepers about their care before the pandas' relocation here in September. Both had to see Wang Wang from outside his enclosure as the 110kg panda, aged 3 1/2 years, is too strong for up-close encounters. Dr West said they were able to visit Funi, 2 1/2, with five other pandas in the enclosure. "We had a real treat. It's very unusual but we were able to go in and feed her some bamboo, say hello and gently touch her on the head, which gives you very good luck," he said. Adelaide Zoo staff only had seen photographs of the two pandas.
"It's sad, coming from a grown-up but when I went to bed (Saturday night) it was like the anticipation of Christmas when you're a kid," Dr West said. "I think people will fall in love with them." Chinese zookeepers were updated on work to build the pandas' enclosure at Adelaide. Concrete slabs have been laid for their airconditioned day rooms and prototypes of artificially-chilled rocks have been developed to keep them cool in summer. Wang Wang and Funi will stay for 10 years.
