The South Australian government held a welcome event on the 21st at Adelaide Zoo for the arrival of a pair of giant pandas from China.
The day was hot, and by early morning, the zoo’s parking lot was already full. Inside the panda pavilion, crowds of people gathered, eagerly waiting for each appearance of the two pandas, “Xing Qiu” and “Yi Lan.” Every move they made amazed visitors, especially the children who repeatedly exclaimed, “They’re so cute!”
During the welcome ceremony, China’s Ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, stated that giant pandas are a symbol of the deep friendship between the peoples of China and Australia. He expressed hope that the two adorable pandas would live happily at Adelaide Zoo and serve as new ambassadors for the friendly relationship between the two countries.
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas remarked in his speech that the public had eagerly lined up to see the pandas. He described the occasion as “a symbolic and wonderful moment, not just about the pandas, but in many ways reflecting the importance of the Australia-China relationship.” He also mentioned that South Australia is now home to the only pair of giant pandas in the Southern Hemisphere and thanked the Chinese side for their support.
The male giant panda, “Xing Qiu,” and the female giant panda, “Yi Lan,” arrived in Adelaide on December 15, 2024, aboard a special plane, marking the beginning of a new phase of China-Australia giant panda conservation research. According to the agreement, they will live in Australia for the next ten years.
China and Australia launched their giant panda conservation research collaboration in 2009. At the welcome event, Yan Jian, Secretary-General of the China Wildlife Conservation Association, expressed confidence that this new phase of international panda conservation cooperation would build on the solid foundation of previous collaborations. He believed it would achieve even greater success in areas such as panda protection and breeding, disease prevention, scientific exchange, and support for panda conservation in the wild, as well as the construction of panda national parks.
The arrival of the pandas has not only drawn attention to the significance of wildlife conservation but also underscored the strength of the ongoing partnership between China and Australia.