Royal Watch News
Queen Sofia's panda meeting
Sep 20, 2007, 12:42 GMT
Spain's Queen Sofia welcomed a pair of giant pandas to their new zoo on Wednesday (19.09.07).
The monarch visited Madrid Zoo for the official ceremony marking the arrival of the furry endangered animals - who actually came to the facility on September 8 - to their new home.
The male, seven-year-old Bing Xing, and female, four-year-old Hua Zui Ba, have been loaned to Spain from China for 10 years, during which time it is hoped they will breed.
The loan was organised following the queen's royal trip to Beijing with her husband King Juan Carlos in June.
There are only five giant pandas in the whole of Europe, and Bing and Hua are the only two such animals in Spain.
Queen Sofia only met with Bing during her trip to the zoo.
The ceremony - which took place outside the panda house - included a performance by some local school children of 'The Song of the Panda'.
The song was written in memory of another giant panda, Chulin, who was born at Madrid Zoo in 1982 and died in 1996.
(C) BANG Media International
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