Arriving from mainland China's Sichuan Province, Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan safely landed at Taoyuan International Airport late afternoon.
On board were several officials who had made the trip to pick up the animals, including Yang Hsiao-tung, spokesman of Taipei City Government and commissioner of the Department of Information and Tourism, and Taipei Zoo Director Jason Yeh.
Nieh Kuo-wei, spokesman for Eva Air--the airline selected to carry the pandas--told the press that the airline had begun preparing for the trip for quite some time.
He explained the company had sent in advance a team to Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, to go over all the technical details regarding the charter flight. "Every arrangement will be made in terms of doing what's best for the pandas," Nieh said Dec. 19.
The Boeing 747-400 used to transport the two animals was entirely cleaned prior to departure, and its interior decorated with panda patterns. In addition, flight attendants on board all wore panda brooches.
The zoo on its part sent staff as well as veterinarians to Sichuan for training and to get them to know the pandas beforehand. According to experts, this would help the animals acclimatize faster to their new environment. The zoo also conducted Dec. 18 a one-hour simulated tour to make sure the panda house could accommodate the expected influx of visitors.
During the flight, every care was taken in transporting the special guests. Temperature in the aircraft's cargo area was kept around 18-20 degree Celsius, providing the most comfortable environment for the giant pandas. According to Yang, upon arrival the pandas were immediately taken under police escort to their new home at the zoo.
Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan are expected to remain in quarantine for a month before making their first public appearance around Chinese New Year, at the end of January. According to some media reports, the zoo plans to show the pandas Jan. 25, which is also Chinese New Year's Eve, traditionally the only day staff at the zoo take a break during the whole year. However, when asked if the panda house would be open to the public during the holidays, Yang said this would depend on the health of the two animals.
According to the Council of Agriculture, the agency will send one or two veterinarians to the zoo every day to check on them during the one-month quarantine. Two mainland caretakers and one veterinarian followed the animals to Taipei to help the zoo take care of the pandas in the early stages. Should any problem arise in the future, the zoo may also seek assistance from mainland experts.
Beijing first proposed the two pandas in May 2005, but the former Democratic Progressive Party administration turned down the offer. The Kuomintang government, however, agreed to welcome them after go-between agencies from Taiwan and the mainland signed agreements to exchange indigenous rare fauna and flora species in November.
Write to Jean Yueh at yueh@mail.gio.gov.tw