Taipei: Two red pandas from Shanghai Zoo made their public debut Wednesday at the Taipei Zoo after completing a month-long quarantine, the Taipei City government said.
According to Focus Taiwan, the pair, a male named Le Le and a female named Tien Tien, were gifted to Taipei Zoo under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed during the 2024 Shanghai-Taipei City Forum. They arrived in Taipei on June 6.
Speaking at a ceremony to mark the pandas' debut, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an stated that the two animals symbolize the shared commitment of Taipei and Shanghai to conserve endangered species, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development. Chiang emphasized the collaboration, noting that the Taipei Zoo sent staff to Shanghai on three occasions after the MOU was signed to learn about the red pandas' diet, management, and daily care.
Zoo staff informed the mayor that Le Le remained a hearty eater throughout the quarantine period, while Tien Tien was more cautious in adapting to her new environment and spent more time observing her surroundings. Despite their differing behaviors, Mayor Chiang described both animals as "very cute" and encouraged the public to visit Taipei Zoo during the summer vacation to meet the new arrivals.
Under the MOU, Taipei Zoo is expected to send white-handed gibbons to the Shanghai Zoo in return. However, details of the exchange, including the number of animals and the timeline, have yet to be finalized.