Giant Pandas arrive at Edinburgh Zoo on Sunday!

Edinburghlass_2

Its been a long time coming but at last a date! They arrive on Sunday and will go on display to the public on 16th December.

You need to book ahead a timeslot to see the pandas via Edinburgh Zoo website, its crashed already today but you can read about it here...

http://www.edinburghzoo.org.uk/visiting/panda.html

Anyone from Edinburgh you can buy tickets for the Zoo at the Edinburgh Zoo stand in the Gyle shopping centre, £10 per adult and £5 per child which is cheaper than on the gate or booking online. However last time I spoke to them they weren't sure how long the tickets there would be available. If they stop selling them I'll update this post.

nickyhutch

I got an email yesterday and nearly passed out with excitement. Just booked for the 16th (my birthday) and having a (long) day trip up to see them.

Edinburghlass_2

Competition for primary school children to meet the pandas on Sunday on arrival at Edinburgh Airport...

http://www.scotsman.com/edinburgh-evening-news/edinburgh/around-the-capital/it_s_your_chance_to_be_part_of_the_airport_pandamonium_on_sunday_1_1988305

Need to have a passport, presumably to get through airport security, and entries close midnight 30/11/11.

have a look at the panda express

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/pictures-fedex-reveals-panda-express-boeing-777f-decal-337829/

torbrex

I went to see the pandas at Washington Zoo, I could have stood there all day just watching them eating & sleeping
I regularly drop in on them via the panda-cam, the red pandas have recently had cubs and they are on camera 2

From my trip

alyth

I have my slot on 20th - I've worked with pandas in China twice, Sweet and Sunshine were 3 years old when I played with them at Wolong (I have the photos to prove it :-) and am almost dying with excitment over this - and I speak as a 41 year old woman who isn't entirely sure that they should be out of China but suddenly the excitement is too much!

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.304850436205923.78233.162141467143488&type=3 follow this link and you can track the plane....... it should arrive between 11-11.30 (I have a friend who works at the airport!). They're being transported fairly quietly to the zoo, so I'm not sure whether you will be able to follow the truck - more than enough media will do that.

Two are also coming to France - the agreement is being signed on Saturday in China.

Edinburghlass_2

Leaving home...

http://news.stv.tv/scotland/east-central/284801-all-aboard-panda-express-ready-for-departure/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Edinburghlass_2

and we have touch down, Sky news has the best coverage at the moment but now over to BBC 24 news

gogzz

Another huge waste of money!!!! Children are being admitted to hospital with rickets and cancer and stroke charities etc need cash to save human lives and i wake up to see this rubbish on the tv...it shouldn't surprise me tho

alyth

gogzz wrote: »

Another huge waste of money!!!! Children are being admitted to hospital with rickets and cancer and stroke charities etc need cash to save human lives and i wake up to see this rubbish on the tv...it shouldn't surprise me tho

None of the money for the pandas is coming from the Scottish Government - it's the Zoological Society that are funding their stay over here. The Government are merely tagging onto the back of their arrival for publicity......

colino

Edinburgh Zoo, thankfully like many others, is in its death throes. Even their accountants qualified their accounts last year when they made a loss of £1.5M, but had the transparent cheek of aiding the positive revaluation of the "business" by 80%. Why? So they would have bogus information to get a £2M loan from Lloyds to help pay for the alterations and first payment for the "gift" from China.

In a first world country with webcams, TV and internet it is an absolute disgrace to haul animals all over the world for our mild and fleeting titilation. Even more so with this "business" staggering from crisis to crisis in a lame attempt to save itself.

davidscot

Arrival a bit of a damp squib.
Families,children with flags,bagpipers etc to welcome 2 FedEx arctic lorries.