Panda lovers rejoice, as two new giant pandas will reside in the Shanghai Zoo starting next week. The pandas will stay in the newly revamped panda exhibition area, reports Shine.
The cuddly creatures are called Xing Guang and He Feng. Both pandas are males. Born in 2016, the pandas previously lived at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province.
Xing Guang, which can be roughly translated as ‘starlight,’ was born on June 23. Compared to other giant pandas, he’s a bit bald on the head and has very white fur. Generally, it is a gentle panda and is friendly with other animals.
Xing Guang. Images via 白开水最好喝/Weibo
He Feng, on the other hand, is much more active and energetic. Despite the fact that his name can be translated as ‘gentle wind,’ He Feng is very outgoing and strikes different poses whenever a camera is around. He Feng is two months younger than Xing Guang and was born on August 9.
He Feng. Images via 白开水最好喝/Weibo
Their predecessors are two giant male pandas. Named Ya Er and Xing Er, the panda cousins made their way to the Shanghai Zoo back in 2016. Over the years, they have gained a lot of popularity among visitors.
However, according to regulations, giant pandas must be sent back to Chengdu when they reach breeding age. Xing Er left Shanghai in January and was later relocated to the Copenhagen Zoo of Denmark. Ya Er will return to the research base soon with his flight taking off today.
Ya Er and Xing Er. Images via 魏魏属兔子/Weibo
After Ya Er leaves, the zookeepers will clean and disinfect the brand new panda exhibition pavilion and prepare to welcome the new pandas. Xing Guang and He Feng are expected to make their official appearance to the public after the Dragon Boat Festival.
Shanghai Zoo, see listing here.
[Cover image via Wikipedia]
