Twin City Forum Red Pandas Handed Over in Shanghai, Expected to Debut in July

(Central News Agency reporter Liao Wen-chi, Shanghai, June 5) The handover ceremony for two red pandas from the Twin City Forum was held at Shanghai Zoo this afternoon. They will arrive in Taiwan tomorrow and are expected to be unveiled to the public as early as July. Liao Wen-ching, Deputy Commissioner of the Taipei City Government's Department of Education, stated at the ceremony that she believes this pair of red pandas will become an important symbol of conservation cooperation between the two cities.

The Taipei City Government and the Shanghai City Government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on red panda species exchange cooperation at the 2024 Twin City Forum. The original plan was to exchange black-footed penguins from Taipei Zoo for two red pandas from Shanghai Zoo.

Today, the handover ceremony for the two red pandas was officially held at Shanghai Zoo. The Taipei delegation, led by Liao Wen-ching and including personnel from Taipei Zoo, participated in the handover along with Zhu Xinjun, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Greenery and City Appearance Administration; Pei En-le, Director of Shanghai Zoo; and Li Xiaodong, Deputy Director of the Shanghai Taiwan Affairs Office.

In her speech, Liao Wen-ching stated that this cooperation was hard-won and embodied the immense efforts of professional teams on both sides. "Red pandas are precious and beloved protected animals. What departs for Taipei today is not just a pair of red pandas, but also carries the trust, friendship, and expectations for future cooperation between both sides." She expressed confidence that after the red pandas settle in Taipei, they will become an important symbol of conservation cooperation between the two cities.

She said that in the future, Taipei Zoo will care for these precious new friends with the most professional and comprehensive care standards, and will continue to deepen cooperation and exchange with Shanghai Zoo in areas such as species conservation, breeding research, veterinary medicine, and talent cultivation.

Following this, Shanghai Zoo Director Pei En-le handed over the red pandas' care records and photos to Wang Yi-min, a researcher from Taipei Zoo. As the red pandas are already in quarantine, they could not appear at the handover ceremony.

In a media interview after the ceremony, Liao Wen-ching said that Taipei Zoo had sent veterinarians and keepers ahead of time to exchange knowledge with Shanghai Zoo staff on how to better care for the red pandas. After the red pandas arrive in Taipei tomorrow, they will need approximately one month of quarantine and could meet the public as early as July. The naming of the red pandas is still under discussion, and a surprise will be revealed at the July meet-and-greet.

In a separate media interview, Director Pei En-le stated that the red pandas began quarantine on May 1. During this one-month quarantine period, their weight has been stable, and the results of fecal, urine, and parasite tests have all been good. "The red pandas are very healthy," he said.

Regarding Taipei Deputy Mayor Lin Yi-hua's statement yesterday that, in response to Shanghai Zoo's needs, the exchanged species would be changed from black-footed penguins to white-handed gibbons, a Central News Agency reporter asked why the species was changed. Director Pei En-le responded, "The species for the future exchange is still under discussion and has not been confirmed yet. I believe that after the quarantine of the red pandas in Taipei is completed, we will receive good news." (Editor: Yang Sheng-ju) 1150605