Head keeper tells of 'amazing' visit to China to meet pair

THE head keeper who is set to care for Edinburgh Zoo's pandas has described the different personalities of the two bears and said she "can't wait" to welcome them to the Capital.

Alison Maclean said meeting the pair for the first time in late February was "truly amazing". The keeper, who has 25 years of experience caring for animals, is now gearing up for a return visit to China so that she can bond with Tian Tian and Yang Guang.

She described how the male, Yang Guang, had ventured into the enclosure to meet zoo bosses face-to-face, but that female Tian Tian had been rather shy.

She said: "We went to the Bifengxia Panda Base and the professors took us to meet the pandas. The female was quite shy and she hung back, but the male was straight down. Their enclosure is a steep mountainside filled with bamboo, but the male was much more curious and he even came into the glass house to have a look at us.

"I'll go over again just before the pandas come to Edinburgh to get to know the two, learn about their individual needs, their likes and dislikes and their personalities. There will be a period of training in China for two to three weeks before they come here. I'm not sure when I'll be going, but I'm keeping the rest of the year free."

She added: "It is a truly amazing experience to come face to face with these incredible animals and meeting them for the first time is a moment I will remember forever."

Ms Maclean said that she would head the panda enclosure, along with two other keepers. During the recent three-day research trip she observed specialist training sessions with the pandas, which will allow her to communicate with them while they are in her care, as well as aiding daily routines and health checks.

She has also been working closely with other European zoos and revealed that she would be visiting attractions such as Vienna Zoo and Madrid Zoo in forthcoming months to prepare for the new arrivals.

She said: "I've looked after bears for 25 years so I think we'll be prepared."

The keeper also revealed that she would be practising her baking skills after learning a favourite panda dish during her time in Ya'an, China.

She said: "They love something known as panda cake. It's a supplementary feed made from a hoard of ingredients including bamboo, corn, rice, eggs, vitamins and minerals. You basically mix it all together, put it into a mould and steam it. They love it."

It is hoped that the panda pair will arrive in the Capital in September. They will be the first to reside in the UK for 17 years.