0:00:02 > 0:00:05Two giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian,
0:00:05 > 0:00:08are about to embark on an incredible journey...
0:00:09 > 0:00:14..from a life of tranquillity in the mountains of China
0:00:14 > 0:00:16to celebrity status at Edinburgh Zoo.
0:00:19 > 0:00:23It's not only a coup for the zoo, it's a significant boost
0:00:23 > 0:00:25for Britain's relations with China.
0:00:26 > 0:00:31But the zoo have never looked after a panda before, so the pressure's on.
0:00:31 > 0:00:33They are potentially very valuable animals
0:00:33 > 0:00:37and have an insurance price tag of about £1 million each.
0:00:37 > 0:00:42With falling visitor numbers, the zoo is taking on huge debt
0:00:42 > 0:00:44in tough economic times.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Success depends on creating a world-class attraction.
0:00:50 > 0:00:55To do that, the zoo's staff will have to learn how to pander to the pandas' every need...
0:00:55 > 0:00:58He like carrot, he like bread...
0:00:58 > 0:01:01He likes bread, OK!
0:01:01 > 0:01:06..supply enough bamboo to satisfy a 16-hour-a-day feeding habit...
0:01:07 > 0:01:11That's how much bamboo a panda roughly eats in a day.
0:01:11 > 0:01:16..and find a way of safely transporting this precious cargo halfway across the world...
0:01:18 > 0:01:22- Quite nerve-wracking, actually! - Quite nervous, watching.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Hello!
0:01:26 > 0:01:30..all in the hope that they will one day produce
0:01:30 > 0:01:34the most sought-after of all panda products -
0:01:34 > 0:01:35a baby...
0:01:36 > 0:01:40..and play a crucial role in ensuring the survival of pandas in the wild.
0:02:00 > 0:02:04Edinburgh Zoo, Scotland's premier animal attraction,
0:02:04 > 0:02:05has hit hard times.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08Its collection of rare and endangered species
0:02:08 > 0:02:11no longer attracts the visitors it once did.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21Now, hoping to double ticket sales, the zoo is putting its reputation on the line
0:02:21 > 0:02:24to present the ultimate animal exhibit.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34This is soon to be the new home of a breeding pair of giant pandas.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42The pandas are from the Szechuan Mountains of China
0:02:42 > 0:02:46and a sanctuary known as Bifengxia.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53A feisty male called Yang Guang, also known as Sunshine...
0:02:54 > 0:02:59..and Tian Tian, a timid and shy female known as Sweetie,
0:02:59 > 0:03:03are eight years old and were both born in captivity.
0:03:04 > 0:03:10These two pandas are about to become the most famous zoological couple in the world.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25The man soon to be responsible for the health of these most prized animals
0:03:25 > 0:03:28is Vet Simon Girling.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31- Is this the kindergarten? - This is the kindergarten.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34Never having looked after pandas before,
0:03:34 > 0:03:38he's come to learn all he can from his counterpart, Professor Tang.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43Panda is not only a symbol of China but also a symbol of the world.
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- Yeah, yeah.- Most of the world, people love pandas.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53Yes, it's one of the most iconically recognisable mammals
0:03:53 > 0:03:56anywhere in the world, really, a giant panda.
0:03:56 > 0:04:00This is Simon's first encounter with the two giant pandas
0:04:00 > 0:04:02soon to be in his charge.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05So, this is a very special panda villa.
0:04:05 > 0:04:11Sometimes, the pandas are outside, moving, climb on tree,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and sometimes inside.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Tian Tian...looking at us.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Tian Tian!
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Tian Tian...lovely, very beautiful.
0:04:21 > 0:04:26- Yes.- White, black colour, very clean,
0:04:26 > 0:04:28but today...
0:04:28 > 0:04:32- Today, she's a bit dirty! - A little...
0:04:32 > 0:04:34muddy.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- I guess the weather's a bit...- Yes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42Hey, Yang Guang!
0:04:42 > 0:04:44- Hello!- Hello, there.
0:04:44 > 0:04:47- How are you? - Come out for the morning.
0:04:47 > 0:04:53So, he has...pretty much all this area coming down around here.
0:04:53 > 0:04:54Hey!
0:04:56 > 0:05:00Yes, he seems quite...quite relaxed about it all, doesn't he?
0:05:00 > 0:05:03- Very relaxed.- Yeah, he seems very...
0:05:06 > 0:05:09You can see how the colouration on the back there where he sits,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12that's quite common -
0:05:12 > 0:05:16that typical pattern of colouration over the lower back
0:05:16 > 0:05:21- where they sit in that laid-back fashion which is so peculiar to pandas.- Yeah.
0:05:31 > 0:05:36Yang Guang is one of over 80 pandas at Bifengxia,
0:05:36 > 0:05:38a sanctuary set up to protect pandas from extinction.
0:05:44 > 0:05:49At the last count, there were only around 1,600 giant pandas left in the wild.
0:05:53 > 0:05:54Bamboo habitat,
0:05:54 > 0:05:58crucial to their survival, has been destroyed by aggressive industrialisation
0:05:58 > 0:06:02and massive population explosion in China.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10Determined to reverse the damage, the Chinese have become experts
0:06:10 > 0:06:14on breeding and rearing giant pandas in captivity.
0:06:24 > 0:06:29Their plan is working, with 300 babies born at Bifengxia so far.
0:06:29 > 0:06:35Professor Tang is hoping that the pandas destined for Scotland will produce a cub.
0:06:35 > 0:06:40We hope Tian Tian and Yang Guang will be...
0:06:40 > 0:06:43Well, this is it, you know. Fingers crossed.
0:06:43 > 0:06:49That would be a dream come true, if they could hit it off.
0:06:49 > 0:06:50Yes, that would be lovely.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56I can't think of a panda being born in the UK, I cannot recall one.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I don't think there has been one, so...
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Certainly not in Scotland,
0:07:02 > 0:07:07so that's going to be a hugely joyful thing.
0:07:07 > 0:07:12Certainly, in the zoo, we will be ecstatic about that if that happens.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15It will be a great day.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19But the sex drive of captive pandas is notoriously low.
0:07:21 > 0:07:23Despite just two or three fertile days a year,
0:07:23 > 0:07:28they often prefer eating to procreating.
0:07:28 > 0:07:30If it doesn't happen naturally, the next step
0:07:30 > 0:07:33is artificial insemination.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44Less romantic, perhaps, but much more effective.
0:07:50 > 0:07:54Almost half of panda pregnancies result in twins,
0:07:54 > 0:07:58but with milk for only one, the weaker is rejected.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02In the wild, those cubs would die.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04In captivity, they are rescued and hand-reared.
0:08:06 > 0:08:08Probably the biggest challenge we are likely to have
0:08:08 > 0:08:11is getting the pandas to breed in the first instance,
0:08:11 > 0:08:14but that doesn't end there - we have the challenge then
0:08:14 > 0:08:18of making sure that any infant born is healthy,
0:08:18 > 0:08:23and if we have twins then we have the facility
0:08:23 > 0:08:29to incubate and to hand-rear the second infant.
0:08:29 > 0:08:34Certainly, we've had a lots of discussions with the Chinese here and Professor Tang.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38We have a room dedicated in the panda facility to do that.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41Hopefully... It's always easier with one infant,
0:08:41 > 0:08:48but if we get twins, we have the capability to hand-rear the second twin.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51It is potentially extremely exciting -
0:08:51 > 0:08:55it will be a nerve-wracking thing, as well, the responsibility of that is huge,
0:08:55 > 0:09:00and for our keepers and staff there will be an awful lot of
0:09:00 > 0:09:02joy and excitement should that happen,
0:09:02 > 0:09:07but I imagine a sense of trepidation as well.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10No, obviously, that's what we're hoping for
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and we'll have to wait and see whether or not we're successful.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Yang Guang and Tian Tian have both bred before,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20so there's a good chance they will again.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26And that's what Edinburgh Zoo is counting on.
0:09:40 > 0:09:43Head of Conservation Iain Valentine
0:09:43 > 0:09:46is the mastermind behind the panda deal.
0:09:46 > 0:09:49He's spent five years negotiating with the Chinese
0:09:49 > 0:09:55to secure two of the most coveted animals in the conservation world.
0:09:55 > 0:10:00It's a huge deal for the zoo but it's also a controversial one.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04Some argue the money would be better spent elsewhere.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06For those people who say
0:10:06 > 0:10:11we should just wave goodbye to giant pandas, they've had huge amounts of money spent on them,
0:10:11 > 0:10:15this is a species that has been on the planet for a very long time.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17It's done very well.
0:10:17 > 0:10:21It's thanks to man that they've had problems,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24but it's also thanks to man that their future is going to be secure.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28So, for me, they symbolise hope,
0:10:28 > 0:10:32not a species we can wave goodbye to,
0:10:32 > 0:10:36and if we can't look after giant pandas, what can we look after?
0:10:37 > 0:10:41Securing the giant pandas is not only important for the zoo,
0:10:41 > 0:10:44there are political and economical implications too.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48On the very day the panda contract was signed,
0:10:48 > 0:10:52a string of lucrative deals were agreed, benefiting both countries.
0:10:52 > 0:10:56Pandas, it seems, could be our passport to prosperity.
0:10:56 > 0:11:00I think this has been a milestone in a growing relationship
0:11:00 > 0:11:03of immense significance for the future
0:11:03 > 0:11:04between the United Kingdom and China.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17With so much at stake, the pressure's on
0:11:17 > 0:11:19to ensure the project's a success.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22The zoo needs to create a world-class enclosure on a budget,
0:11:22 > 0:11:26so decides to refurbish the old gorilla house.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30They're constructing a large walkway to give the visitor
0:11:30 > 0:11:33an uninterrupted view of the pandas...
0:11:33 > 0:11:36and adding a Chinese theme to the experience.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42Simon Jones has been Gardeners Manager at the zoo for five years.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48He'll have to create a panda paradise, guaranteed to impress the visitors
0:11:48 > 0:11:52as well as keep Tian Tian and Yang Guang happy.
0:11:52 > 0:11:57What we would like the panda to be able to do is to traverse the enclosure,
0:11:57 > 0:12:01so basically, it will be able to climb up onto the logs at the back there,
0:12:01 > 0:12:05get up onto the biggest log and sit there and eat its bamboo on a nice sunny day,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07if it so chooses.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Crucially, one of the things we had to do for the enclosure
0:12:10 > 0:12:12is have the climbing structure high enough
0:12:12 > 0:12:15so that the panda can see the other panda over the walls,
0:12:15 > 0:12:17because that's what they would get in the wild.
0:12:17 > 0:12:20They wouldn't see each other all the time
0:12:20 > 0:12:22and they would get a snapshot of each other,
0:12:22 > 0:12:27and they only really come together to mate, so that's what we're trying to simulate here,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31that relationship where they can get a snapshot of each other, if they so choose.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Getting the enclosure right is not the only challenge.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Scotland is hardly natural bamboo country,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44so sourcing enough of the stuff to feed the pandas is a big ask for Simon.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47A newspaper article highlighting their predicament
0:12:47 > 0:12:50provokes a big public response,
0:12:50 > 0:12:53and now Simon's visiting a house in Helensburgh,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57to see if their bamboo crop measures up.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59Just round here...
0:12:59 > 0:13:00Excellent!
0:13:00 > 0:13:04Fantastic, look at this! This'll be some bamboo, then.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06Good stuff.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18What I've got here is a fresh shoot, so this is this year's growth...
0:13:18 > 0:13:24The interesting thing about bamboo is, a bit like bulbs, onions,
0:13:24 > 0:13:26before this comes from underground,
0:13:26 > 0:13:29all these little nodes in-between, they're already fully developed,
0:13:29 > 0:13:32but they're all compressed into a tiny little space.
0:13:32 > 0:13:36To get their growth going, they just expand.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39- Expanding nodes!- Exactly.
0:13:39 > 0:13:43What the pandas like is these wee fresh shoots.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47It's very, very soft - see how easily I'm slicing through it? It's not hard at all.
0:13:47 > 0:13:48I am known in the park, though,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51to wander about the zoo in the springtime
0:13:51 > 0:13:54and just eat all the new buds on the trees and the new leaves.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57They're tastier than peas. Look how fresh that is.
0:13:58 > 0:14:01- Lovely.- No pancakes for you? - No. Bamboo.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05If I like it, a panda will absolutely love this.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10OK.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15This is...roughly how much a panda eats in a day.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17In one day.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20That's about 25 stems, something like that.
0:14:20 > 0:14:22It'll eat from the bottom to the top.
0:14:22 > 0:14:26The panda will definitely be a little bit more selective
0:14:26 > 0:14:29than what I just was. I just went in and chopped it all down.
0:14:29 > 0:14:35It will go in and choose the stems it wants, depending on tenderness and all sorts of different things.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38It won't take long to get rid of that plantation.
0:14:38 > 0:14:43Unfortunately, bamboo patches like this would be gobbled up in weeks.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46The search for a good Chinese takeaway continues.
0:14:50 > 0:14:55Looking after such iconic creatures is a huge undertaking.
0:14:55 > 0:14:57Edinburgh Zoo's head keeper, Alison McLean,
0:14:57 > 0:14:59has come to China for a month of intensive training.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It's a golden opportunity to learn from the experts
0:15:03 > 0:15:05and to prove she is up to the challenge.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08The pandas in the centre are used to humans
0:15:08 > 0:15:09being round about them.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12They have one keeper to every two pandas
0:15:12 > 0:15:14and they work exclusively with those pandas
0:15:14 > 0:15:19so they get to know them in the same way your pet dog gets to know you.
0:15:19 > 0:15:24And obviously the keepers are round about them the whole day.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29They feed them, train them, touch them, they are with them all the time,
0:15:29 > 0:15:33so the pandas tend to respond in quite a positive way
0:15:33 > 0:15:37because everything the keepers do is positive towards them.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43Alison is being trained to look after Tian Tian
0:15:43 > 0:15:46and Yang Guang by keeper Che Hau.
0:15:59 > 0:16:01She study from me.
0:16:01 > 0:16:04I will teach her everything,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07including how to feed.
0:16:07 > 0:16:11How to know the panda character. How to chew the bamboo.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13Everything about panda.
0:16:15 > 0:16:17In the ground?
0:16:20 > 0:16:24- To simulate the natural bamboo in the wild.- OK.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28The panda will grab the stick.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37Feeding the pandas will be more labour intensive because
0:16:37 > 0:16:40we have to collect the bamboo, we have to bring it in, sort through it,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44we have to set it out in a way that is more naturalistic for the panda
0:16:44 > 0:16:48to feed from, whereas anything else - I look after a carnivore -
0:16:48 > 0:16:52you tend to either throw something in or scatter it about.
0:16:52 > 0:16:57Also with the pandas, they appear to get fed throughout the day, not just once.
0:16:57 > 0:16:59It's a continuous process.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02With the pandas, you do one feed, you'll clean,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06then you'll do another feed, then you'll clean.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09It seems to be an all-day job.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13And then you put in a huge amount of bamboo in the evening for them
0:17:13 > 0:17:15to feed on overnight.
0:17:16 > 0:17:21Pandas now eat bamboo because it's a simple thing for them
0:17:21 > 0:17:23to get their hands on.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28They live in the bamboo forest. If I was sitting in a forest
0:17:28 > 0:17:33or an environment which had a ready supply of some kind of food,
0:17:33 > 0:17:36I would choose to use that too.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38That's exactly what the pandas have done.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41There are some great points about that.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43You don't have to move far.
0:17:43 > 0:17:47At the same time, because bamboo is not nutritionally valuable,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50you have to eat huge amounts and digest that
0:17:50 > 0:17:54and get your body to live off that, so it means more time is spent
0:17:54 > 0:17:57eating rather than hunting.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02It's vital that the pandas' diet is carefully monitored.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05For a clearer picture of what's going in, you need to examine
0:18:05 > 0:18:08what's come out.
0:18:08 > 0:18:10I am becoming an expert on panda poop.
0:18:10 > 0:18:15It comes in all different colours. Scott was explaining to me that is dependant on what they have eaten.
0:18:15 > 0:18:17So this in the male enclosure.
0:18:17 > 0:18:21Fei Fei has had some carrot and the stuff Scott calls the stick
0:18:21 > 0:18:24is the stems of the bamboo and it comes through
0:18:24 > 0:18:31as white woody stems, and then you've got this kind of poop here.
0:18:31 > 0:18:35This means he has been feeding on the leaf of the bamboo as well.
0:18:35 > 0:18:42According to Scott, it's important that we take note that he is feeding on both kinds.
0:18:42 > 0:18:47Scott will then determine what he feeds to the individual panda,
0:18:47 > 0:18:52dependant on whether they have had a lot of leaf or a lot of stem.
0:18:52 > 0:18:56So he will maybe say to me today bring bamboo
0:18:56 > 0:19:02with a lot of leaf or bring big sticks, so it changes from each feed.
0:19:10 > 0:19:14Tian Tian and Yang Guang will eat enough bamboo to fill a double-decker bus
0:19:14 > 0:19:16every 12 months.
0:19:16 > 0:19:20That's fine if you live in the bamboo rich mountains of China
0:19:20 > 0:19:24but there is nowhere in Britain where that volume of bamboo can be found.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28It's a major headache for the zoo back in Edinburgh.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Gardens Manager Simon Jones still needs to find a bamboo source
0:19:35 > 0:19:39big enough to satisfy Tian Tian and Yang Guang's appetites.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43He thinks he's found a solution.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55He's heading to one of the biggest wholesale
0:19:55 > 0:19:59bamboo suppliers in Europe to see if they can meet their demands.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- Hello, Reiner. - Hello.- Good to see you.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07Nice to see you. Hello.
0:20:11 > 0:20:13This enormous plantation
0:20:13 > 0:20:17grows bamboo to supply the three other giant panda zoos in Europe.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32To the panda different species, different varieties will taste different.
0:20:32 > 0:20:36And this is because the bamboo has a huge range.
0:20:36 > 0:20:39You get certain species that are the fine-leaved ones,
0:20:39 > 0:20:42like this species here that grow on the mountainsides
0:20:42 > 0:20:45and have different nutrients in the soil, different water content,
0:20:45 > 0:20:47therefore the plants will taste different.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51If you come further south in the mountain, you will get into the more tropical regions.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55You will get bigger broad-leaved species of bamboo. They will all taste different.
0:21:00 > 0:21:08- Is this Phyllostachys bissetii? No, this is spectabulis. - The green one is florestecha.
0:21:08 > 0:21:12OK. This one, if I was to buy this in a normal plant,
0:21:12 > 0:21:16not cut, would that be good for Scotland and the cold weather?
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- It's a full winter.- OK.
0:21:19 > 0:21:26The Dutch bamboo ticks all the boxes but it will cost £70,000 a year.
0:21:26 > 0:21:28Not many people have this amount of bamboo
0:21:28 > 0:21:31growing in a field in this situation.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34It costs quite a lot of money for us
0:21:34 > 0:21:37or any zoo to transport this back to their own zoo.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41With the arrival date looming, it's the only option.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47HE WHISTLES
0:21:47 > 0:21:50You two. Hey.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54Bamboo is their principle food source
0:21:54 > 0:21:57but in the wild, pandas like Tian Tian would also forage for grubs
0:21:57 > 0:22:03and berries, so captive pandas must have their diet supplemented.
0:22:03 > 0:22:08The sanctuary has developed a special cake, packed full with all they need.
0:22:11 > 0:22:14A unique recipe made up of ground pulses,
0:22:14 > 0:22:17eggs and water make up this panda delicacy.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26The pandas really like panda cake and it's an absolute definite that they will eat it.
0:22:26 > 0:22:33They don't get a huge amount of it. Yang Guang will only get 1,800g a day
0:22:33 > 0:22:37which is a tiny amount, maybe about half of one of these
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and when you compare that to the size he is, it's not much at all.
0:22:40 > 0:22:45And Tian Tian is only on 400g a day, so it's a very small amount for her.
0:22:47 > 0:22:54This is for 77 pandas they have on the base here and I'm making it
0:22:54 > 0:22:56for two pandas, so realistically I will be making two cakes
0:22:56 > 0:23:00so everything will be exactly the same but just on a much smaller scale.
0:23:16 > 0:23:23Vet Simon and Professor Tang are visiting the kindergarten at snack time.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25HE SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE
0:23:29 > 0:23:31How old are these?
0:23:31 > 0:23:33- One years old.- One years old?
0:23:33 > 0:23:38- How many do we have in here? - We have 16.- 16?- Yes.
0:23:41 > 0:23:43Here, carrots are also on the menu.
0:23:47 > 0:23:54You give different food. He like carrots. He likes bread.
0:23:54 > 0:23:59- He likes bread!- A different panda has a characteristic. Very cute!
0:23:59 > 0:24:03If you give carrots, apple, they love you.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08This one's a bit of a messy eater. He's got it all down his front!
0:24:08 > 0:24:10He's having a whale of a time with that carrot!
0:24:20 > 0:24:24This wonderful grip, which almost looks as if they've got a thumb
0:24:24 > 0:24:27but it's not the thumb, is it?
0:24:27 > 0:24:30The monkey, the bear cannot hold but the panda can.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32- It can with...- Just like our thumb.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36Yes, it's almost unique in that respect.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54Cubs like these, in the past, were born here at the breeding centre
0:24:54 > 0:24:58where the birth could be closely supervised.
0:25:03 > 0:25:06But that wasn't ideal.
0:25:06 > 0:25:11Now, they're experimenting with a new approach.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14Remote cameras and microphones are installed in the outside enclosures
0:25:14 > 0:25:17so they can monitor the pregnant pandas from a distance,
0:25:17 > 0:25:22allowing for a more natural birthing process, simulating the wild.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Today, they've spotted an exciting development.
0:25:26 > 0:25:31Fei Fei, one of their mature females, appears to be in labour.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35- Fei Fei is going to have a baby. - She's going to have the baby?- Yeah.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38- Soon?- Yeah, soon, maybe.
0:25:38 > 0:25:44It's an unexpected opportunity for Alison to see the new birthing approach at first hand.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46All the other babies at the sanctuary
0:25:46 > 0:25:50were born two months ago - could it be possible that Fei Fei
0:25:50 > 0:25:54is only now going into labour after such an extended gestation?
0:25:57 > 0:26:02There certainly seems to be something going on with her.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07Everyone else is of the same opinion,
0:26:07 > 0:26:10so we just need to wait and see what happens.
0:26:12 > 0:26:19If she is pregnant, it could be between six hours and ten days before she gives birth.
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Since arriving in China, Alison and Simon have had very little time off.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Only in the evenings is there a chance to explore the local city, Ya'an.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Ni hao.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41HE SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Can we try?
0:26:45 > 0:26:50It's interesting because during the day, it looks quite drab and industrialised.
0:26:50 > 0:26:55At night, everything is lit up. Everything is light.
0:26:55 > 0:26:56It does transform it.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02Everybody's out with their children. They seem to stay out till 10 or 11 at night.
0:27:02 > 0:27:06This is when it all happens, in the evening. It's because everybody works every single day.
0:27:06 > 0:27:12The time when they go out shopping and go about what we would class as our daily business, is the evenings.
0:27:12 > 0:27:16They all seem to meet together, eat together and spend a lot of time together.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20WOMAN SPEAKS IN HER NATIVE TONGUE
0:27:20 > 0:27:22Cheers.
0:27:27 > 0:27:29That's very nice.
0:27:29 > 0:27:32Yeah, it's nice.
0:27:36 > 0:27:41Forgetting the day job is not easy with reminders of it everywhere.
0:27:44 > 0:27:46Oh. Look. Must have!
0:27:46 > 0:27:50- You must! How wonderful. - And the ear muffs.
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- And the slippers. - Can't get away from pandas, can you?
0:27:52 > 0:27:59- Er, no.- It's just not possible in Ya'an, is it? - It seems to be panda-monium!
0:27:59 > 0:28:00THEY LAUGH
0:28:18 > 0:28:21The team are still monitoring Fei Fei,
0:28:21 > 0:28:23whose labour seems real enough.
0:28:23 > 0:28:27Birthing expert Professor Tang wants to see what's going on.
0:28:35 > 0:28:40THEY SPEAK IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE
0:28:40 > 0:28:45Fei Fei is leaking in the vulva and there is a lot of water come out.
0:28:45 > 0:28:50The mother continues leaking the water.
0:28:50 > 0:28:54THEY SHOUT
0:28:54 > 0:28:56The baby is out!
0:28:56 > 0:28:59THEY SPEAK IN THEIR NATIVE TONGUE
0:28:59 > 0:29:0357 minutes.
0:29:03 > 0:29:09- 13.57. It's very fast. - The arrival is thrilling news.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13HE SPEAKS IN HIS NATIVE TONGUE
0:29:18 > 0:29:22Now Alison and Simon have come to savour the magic of a panda birth.
0:29:25 > 0:29:26Hello.
0:29:29 > 0:29:30The baby is in her arm.
0:29:30 > 0:29:35- She's got it where?- Here. - Under her arm?- Yeah. Under her arm.
0:29:35 > 0:29:42She's very maternal, very...caring, immediately picking the infant up
0:29:42 > 0:29:44and cradling it.
0:29:44 > 0:29:46She's obviously a very good mother.
0:29:46 > 0:29:49Yeah. A good mother.
0:30:02 > 0:30:05If they're lucky, this time next year, Alison and Simon could be
0:30:05 > 0:30:10watching Tian Tian giving birth to a precious panda cub of her own.
0:30:18 > 0:30:19If that happened,
0:30:19 > 0:30:23it would instantly elevate the zoo to world-class status.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30For now, though, there's work to be done readying the panda enclosure.
0:30:33 > 0:30:35Giant glass panels are being installed
0:30:35 > 0:30:39for the best viewing experience possible.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41Watch the top bit.
0:30:41 > 0:30:44Exotic plants will help create an environment
0:30:44 > 0:30:48that mimics the one back in China.
0:30:48 > 0:30:50Stop there, stop!
0:30:51 > 0:30:55- That's fine.- Despite all the activity, no-one yet knows
0:30:55 > 0:30:58when the pandas will be arriving.
0:31:03 > 0:31:06Back in China, Tian Tian and Yang Guang
0:31:06 > 0:31:10are now in quarantine in preparation for their departure.
0:31:20 > 0:31:24It will be a wee bit of an upheaval for them. Of course it will.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27They're moving house and moving house is stressful.
0:31:27 > 0:31:29But we'll do everything we can
0:31:29 > 0:31:33to make the journey as easy as we possibly can.
0:31:33 > 0:31:34They'll settle right down.
0:31:34 > 0:31:39But I'm kind of sad to leave. I love it here. It's beautiful.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43Such a nice area, everywhere you turn there's pandas.
0:31:43 > 0:31:47But I need to get the pandas back to Edinburgh.
0:31:55 > 0:31:59The task of moving two of the world's most valuable creatures
0:31:59 > 0:32:02halfway across the planet falls on the shoulders of Darren McGarry.
0:32:02 > 0:32:06As the Head of Animals, he has supervised
0:32:06 > 0:32:09the transportation of all the zoo's newest residents.
0:32:15 > 0:32:20These bears here are very similar to how the pandas are going to be to transport.
0:32:20 > 0:32:22Because they are a bear, so they are very similar.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24They came to the zoo about a year or so ago
0:32:24 > 0:32:27and they went into transport crates. They came from Cambodia
0:32:27 > 0:32:30and then they arrived here, they flew over to the zoo.
0:32:30 > 0:32:34We brought them into the house here, off-loaded them into the house.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37They had to do a six-month rabies quarantine period.
0:32:37 > 0:32:38They are a really popular animal.
0:32:38 > 0:32:41Lots of people like to come and see bears. They are very active.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45We're probably gauging on what the pandas are going to be like
0:32:45 > 0:32:49from what we did when we organised this transport of these sun bears here.
0:32:49 > 0:32:51We are going to have a look at these koalas.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54These are another species that have their challenges
0:32:54 > 0:32:56when you are organising the transport of them.
0:32:56 > 0:32:58That's their crates up there.
0:32:58 > 0:33:02The good thing about koalas is they are so delicate
0:33:02 > 0:33:07that they get VIP treatment when you are organising to move them.
0:33:07 > 0:33:12They are not like any other animal. They are treated very differently.
0:33:12 > 0:33:15You will see one of our koalas here.
0:33:15 > 0:33:18They way they are treated differently,
0:33:18 > 0:33:20because they're so special, delicate,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23they actually get to sit in the cabin of the aeroplane
0:33:23 > 0:33:26so they get allocated a seat and everything
0:33:26 > 0:33:28so you get full VIP treatment.
0:33:28 > 0:33:30The pandas may not have their own seats
0:33:30 > 0:33:34but there's no question of their VIP status.
0:33:34 > 0:33:38They're going be FedEx'd in their very own panda plane.
0:33:39 > 0:33:43Transporting such precious cargo is a complex business.
0:33:43 > 0:33:47It will require a specially chartered Boeing 777
0:33:47 > 0:33:52to jet them off to their distant destination, far away from home.
0:34:02 > 0:34:07The pandas' natural habitat is the wild bamboo mountains of central China.
0:34:08 > 0:34:12They once thrived here but now there are only around 1,600 left.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18But that's all about to change.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24Hidden away in these mountains, a quite revolution is under way
0:34:24 > 0:34:27to reverse their decline.
0:34:30 > 0:34:34At the heart of it is Wolong, the sister sanctuary to Bifengxia
0:34:34 > 0:34:37which was once the home to over 60 pandas.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41It's a panda paradise
0:34:41 > 0:34:42or at least it was
0:34:42 > 0:34:47until a massive earthquake hit in 2008 and devastated the panda base.
0:35:05 > 0:35:10They could have lost 75% of the captive panda population
0:35:10 > 0:35:13but miraculously, almost all of them survived.
0:35:16 > 0:35:19Now they are rebuilding the sanctuary
0:35:19 > 0:35:23to play a key role in their new master plan.
0:35:23 > 0:35:29They are keeping pregnant pandas here and training them to be less dependant on humans.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32Their cubs will then eventually be released into the wild
0:35:32 > 0:35:34never having had human contact,
0:35:34 > 0:35:37vastly increasing their chances of survival.
0:35:40 > 0:35:42The Chinese have kept this programme
0:35:42 > 0:35:44of releasing back into the wild low profile,
0:35:44 > 0:35:47until now.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56Alison is taking the long, gruelling journey through the earthquake zone
0:35:56 > 0:36:00having been granted special permission to go to Wolong.
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Really exciting. It's very bumpy as well.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07She is one of the very few to be allowed to see
0:36:07 > 0:36:10the full extent of the groundbreaking project.
0:36:22 > 0:36:26- How many pandas do you have here? - Eight.
0:36:26 > 0:36:30- Four babies and four mums. - Four babies, four mums.
0:36:30 > 0:36:33Mr Woo has worked at the sanctuary since before the earthquake.
0:36:33 > 0:36:38His team is experimenting with some new ideas.
0:36:38 > 0:36:44A cunning disguise keeps baby pandas in blissful ignorance of the humans in their midst.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49- We have to go into the enclosure. - The enclosure.
0:36:49 > 0:36:55So... Because the baby is in the enclosure.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58So, you don't want the baby to know.
0:36:58 > 0:37:05Right, because we don't want to be friends with babies.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10So, you don't want the baby to recognise human beings.
0:37:10 > 0:37:13You would wear this only when the baby is here.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16No.
0:37:16 > 0:37:19- When we clean the enclosures.- OK.
0:37:41 > 0:37:46Has the baby ever came down to see him in his suit?
0:37:46 > 0:37:48No, we don't want to bother them.
0:37:48 > 0:37:53- You want to just leave them to live as wild.- Yeah, sure.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55- That's good.- Yeah.
0:38:02 > 0:38:05Now for the most fiendish disguise of all.
0:38:05 > 0:38:09So, this is the panda suit for when you have to go in
0:38:09 > 0:38:12- and do something with the babies.- Yeah.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14So...
0:38:16 > 0:38:18Yeah, we do this...
0:38:18 > 0:38:21just...
0:38:21 > 0:38:24for checking the babies.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26- For health checks.- Yeah.
0:38:26 > 0:38:32For them, it's OK that you go in because you look like their mother.
0:38:32 > 0:38:35Yeah, that's why. Exactly.
0:38:35 > 0:38:40We don't want the baby to know humans,
0:38:40 > 0:38:44- especially the keepers.- Yeah.
0:38:44 > 0:38:46The last bit.
0:38:46 > 0:38:49- Put...- Sure.
0:38:49 > 0:38:53If we were raising a baby, there's a lot of options open to us.
0:38:53 > 0:38:57Obviously, the guys here for the pre-release training wear a panda suit
0:38:57 > 0:39:00so that the panda baby never, ever sees a human being.
0:39:00 > 0:39:02It's a really good way to work round things.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06You don't want the panda to become habituated to humans.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09You want it to know and to think it is a panda.
0:39:09 > 0:39:13Yeah, it's one of the options, is to wear a suit.
0:39:13 > 0:39:15Again, one of the things we've learned here
0:39:15 > 0:39:18is that from a very young age, mum leaves the baby alone
0:39:18 > 0:39:23and at the moment, some of the babies here only come to her for milk and then they are off on their own.
0:39:23 > 0:39:27So, if they come to you for milk and you are in a panda suit,
0:39:27 > 0:39:30as far as they're concerned, you're mum and you're a panda.
0:39:37 > 0:39:42It's not the first time the Chinese have released a panda back into the wild.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47But when they tried it once before, it ended in disaster.
0:39:47 > 0:39:51Xiang Xiang was found dead less than a year after his release.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54It brought a premature end to the reintroduction programme
0:39:54 > 0:39:58and sent reverberations throughout the conservation world.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03This time it's going to be different.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09The pandas will be taken through several phases to prepare them for release.
0:40:16 > 0:40:20After two years, they will then be moved up the mountain to phase two,
0:40:20 > 0:40:25still within a protected environment but with no human interaction.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28Quite high. Steep.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30- Getting tired?- No.
0:40:36 > 0:40:38When they are ready, the cubs will finally be released
0:40:38 > 0:40:41high up in the bamboo-rich mountain tops.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52- How high are we? - 2,000 metres.- 2,000 metres.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55- And we're now in the bamboo.- Yeah.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00So, this kind of habitat is where you would look to release
0:41:00 > 0:41:03- the babies after the training.- Right.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07- But there are wild pandas living here just now?- Yeah.
0:41:07 > 0:41:11We're standing in the middle of panda habitat.
0:41:11 > 0:41:16- We have how many babies training just now?- Four.- Four.
0:41:16 > 0:41:21How many of those would you hope to release?
0:41:21 > 0:41:24- Three or four. - Three or four will go.
0:41:24 > 0:41:28- But they're with their mother just now?- Right.
0:41:28 > 0:41:33- How long will they stay with their mother?- Two.- Probably two.
0:41:35 > 0:41:37Pandas born here will one day roam free,
0:41:37 > 0:41:41and if Yang Guang and Tian Tian produce a female cub,
0:41:41 > 0:41:43she too may come here.
0:41:45 > 0:41:50For now, their new life at Edinburgh Zoo is just about to begin.
0:41:52 > 0:41:55Good afternoon. Edinburgh Zoo has confirmed that the two giant pandas
0:41:55 > 0:41:57will arrive from China this Sunday.
0:41:57 > 0:42:02Tian Tian and Yang Guang will make the journey in Perspex cages
0:42:02 > 0:42:05on board a specially chartered flight.
0:42:08 > 0:42:10The big day has finally arrived.
0:42:10 > 0:42:14Head of Animals from the zoo, Darren McGarry,
0:42:14 > 0:42:18has flown out to keep an eye on proceedings.
0:42:18 > 0:42:24Obviously, we're really proud to be having them coming to Scotland but also the UK as a whole.
0:42:24 > 0:42:28It's the day that Iain Valentine, the man behind the complex deal,
0:42:28 > 0:42:31has been working towards for five years.
0:42:31 > 0:42:35It's really quite exciting and I'm really quite touched
0:42:35 > 0:42:38by the huge amount of effort that goes into doing something like this.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41I hadn't appreciated just the organisation
0:42:41 > 0:42:43that goes in for a departure ceremony.
0:42:43 > 0:42:46I know they're special animals but I didn't actually understand
0:42:46 > 0:42:50the whole thing about the departure ceremony, so it's quite something.
0:42:50 > 0:42:53With the eyes of the world's press upon them, everyone is feeling the pressure.
0:43:04 > 0:43:08- Quite nerve-wracking, actually. - Quite nervous watching.
0:43:08 > 0:43:11- There's a lot of people here. - Normally when you do something like that,
0:43:11 > 0:43:15you wouldn't have anybody around, so it's quite nerve-wracking.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19She's in the box, she's in the van, so that's good. We are relieved.
0:43:19 > 0:43:21We've got a sigh of relief.
0:43:25 > 0:43:27One more to go.
0:43:37 > 0:43:42Once both pandas are loaded up, the real fun begins.
0:44:02 > 0:44:05The leaving ceremony is a long-running tradition at Bifengxia.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35I think it was all quite crazy but it's done,
0:44:35 > 0:44:40it's been interesting, it's been fun.
0:44:40 > 0:44:44Onto the next bit, because it's still got a bit of a journey to do yet.
0:44:51 > 0:44:55The pandas will be flying from Chengdu Airport in the southwest of China.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12Their crates must be kept stable. Pandas are precious cargo.
0:45:14 > 0:45:19They're still under the Chinese Panda Centre's responsibility now
0:45:19 > 0:45:23and once they arrive in the UK and they come to Edinburgh Zoo
0:45:23 > 0:45:27then we're responsible for them, once they're actually in Edinburgh.
0:45:27 > 0:45:32So, we're excited for that time, once they actually get to Edinburgh. I'm really looking forward to it.
0:45:34 > 0:45:38Even the crew are getting into the spirit of things.
0:45:42 > 0:45:49We were asked to put on the dress of the Scottish FedEx colours.
0:45:49 > 0:45:53We know we'll enjoy coming into Scotland in the appropriate garb
0:45:53 > 0:45:56to commemorate this important event.
0:45:56 > 0:45:59It took us a little while to get used to putting it on correctly.
0:45:59 > 0:46:02We did not want to disrespect the Scottish people.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20Ian and Darren will check the pandas every half hour.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34It's a long time for pandas to be airborne,
0:46:34 > 0:46:36but with a jet this size,
0:46:36 > 0:46:39you can fly non-stop to Edinburgh in just ten-and-a-half hours.
0:46:42 > 0:46:45That's why they call it the Panda Express.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50While the pandas are making their way to Edinburgh,
0:46:50 > 0:46:53the panda diplomacy is stepping up a gear.
0:46:56 > 0:47:00Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond, keen to capitalise on the panda mania
0:47:00 > 0:47:03is meeting with Vice-Premier Li in Beijing.
0:47:06 > 0:47:11Can I say that your visit to Edinburgh is well-remembered,
0:47:11 > 0:47:12Mr Vice-Premier.
0:47:12 > 0:47:17Only the arrival of Tian Tian and Yang Guang has been more exciting
0:47:17 > 0:47:20for Scotland than your visit.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25Alex Salmond is not the only political leader
0:47:25 > 0:47:28to grasp the status-enhancing effect of the giant panda.
0:47:30 > 0:47:34President Nixon was the first Western leader to recognise it.
0:47:36 > 0:47:40Quick to see the benefits, Edward Heath followed suit two years later.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46At first, the Chinese gave the pandas away as gifts,
0:47:46 > 0:47:50but it wasn't long before they realised their financial value.
0:47:50 > 0:47:54Pandas were in such demand, they started to charge enormous amounts,
0:47:54 > 0:47:56renting them out for fixed periods overseas.
0:47:56 > 0:48:01Tian Tian and Yang Guang are on loan for ten years
0:48:01 > 0:48:04with a rental of around £600,000 per annum.
0:48:05 > 0:48:08It's a lot of money, but then there's never been a better time
0:48:08 > 0:48:10to be making friends with the Chinese.
0:48:15 > 0:48:17BAGPIPES PLAY
0:48:21 > 0:48:26On the 4th of December 2011, panda mania reaches fever pitch
0:48:26 > 0:48:31when Tian Tian and Yang Guang touch down at last on British soil.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40It's a major coup for the zoo and for Scotland.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58It's the moment everybody has been waiting for.
0:48:58 > 0:49:02This is hugely special for Edinburgh Zoo, obviously,
0:49:02 > 0:49:05and it's a real accolade for their reputation in conservation.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09But it's also important in terms of the relationship between Scotland and China.
0:49:09 > 0:49:12It's a hugely important relationship in terms of
0:49:12 > 0:49:17our economic prospects as well as culturally and diplomatically.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19All in all, this is a great occasion for Scotland
0:49:19 > 0:49:22and I'm delighted to be here today, playing a part in it.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27Back at the zoo, the crowds are going wild about pandas.
0:49:48 > 0:49:51As the flag-waving children outside celebrate their safe arrival...
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Ready? One, two, three.
0:49:59 > 0:50:01..behind the scenes, there's tension.
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Tian Tian may not have travelled well.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Make sure the metal shutter doesn't fall down.
0:50:27 > 0:50:30- OK.- She's out! She's out!
0:50:33 > 0:50:34Gently, gently, gently, gently.
0:50:34 > 0:50:37In here, Tian. In here.
0:50:42 > 0:50:46- She looks better.- She looks OK. I think she'll be fine.
0:50:47 > 0:50:50Once out of her crate, Tian Tian perks up.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52Go back over to you guys.
0:50:54 > 0:50:59Brilliant. First panda in, feel much happier now. Just one more to go.
0:51:06 > 0:51:08After almost 24 hours in transit,
0:51:08 > 0:51:12it's likely that Yang Guang will be jet-lagged and disorientated.
0:51:12 > 0:51:17Do you want to call him? Professor Tan? Do you want to call him?
0:51:19 > 0:51:20Yang Guang...
0:51:20 > 0:51:22Yang Guang.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24Come here.
0:51:38 > 0:51:42It's a huge relief to see him stretching his legs and settling in.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55Yang Guang, this is your new house.
0:51:58 > 0:52:02The first look around, smell...
0:52:03 > 0:52:06Pandas, when they go to a new place,
0:52:06 > 0:52:11normally they take half an hour, one hour,
0:52:11 > 0:52:14to know the new place.
0:52:15 > 0:52:19Walking, looking around, smell.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Then sitting down, starting to eat.
0:52:22 > 0:52:26The journey's over. Mission accomplished.
0:52:26 > 0:52:30And for Chief Exec Hugh Roberts, it's a moment to celebrate.
0:52:30 > 0:52:33Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, honoured guests.
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Tian Tian and Yang Guang are safely with us
0:52:36 > 0:52:39and I hope now settling into their new surroundings.
0:52:39 > 0:52:43One usually says of a panda that he eats shoots and leaves.
0:52:43 > 0:52:46In this case, he eats shoots and arrives.
0:52:46 > 0:52:50Both pandas appear in good form
0:52:50 > 0:52:53but they will need close monitoring for the next 48 hours.
0:52:57 > 0:52:59Basically, we've got 16 video cameras, CCTV,
0:52:59 > 0:53:01that goes around the whole building,
0:53:01 > 0:53:06so it looks at all of the panda areas, where the pandas are housed.
0:53:06 > 0:53:08So, we have these monitors and several in our offices.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I have got one in my office.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14So I can sit and look at the cameras 24 hours a day, if I wanted to.
0:53:19 > 0:53:21Hello, Sweetie. How are you doing?
0:53:21 > 0:53:23After everything she's been through,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Simon's keeping a close eye on Tian Tian.
0:53:25 > 0:53:28Good girl, hey?
0:53:28 > 0:53:31You're so beautiful. Yes, you are. Yes, you are.
0:53:32 > 0:53:36You're a good girl. It's all a bit strange, isn't it?
0:53:36 > 0:53:40Obviously, we're checking very closely their droppings.
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Vets are obsessed with what comes out of an animal.
0:53:44 > 0:53:47So we spend an awful lot of our time digging through panda poo,
0:53:47 > 0:53:48amongst other things.
0:53:48 > 0:53:51It is very important we know the consistency is right
0:53:51 > 0:53:55because that tells us whether or not the feeding we're doing is correct.
0:53:58 > 0:54:01Will the bamboo that has travelled across Europe
0:54:01 > 0:54:04be to the fussy pandas' taste?
0:54:06 > 0:54:10These have been in storage and in transport for about three or four days.
0:54:10 > 0:54:14So, I'm looking for how curled up the leaves are...
0:54:14 > 0:54:18and just basically the general health of the bamboo.
0:54:18 > 0:54:21You can clearly see that even though this has been cut a few days ago,
0:54:21 > 0:54:23it's still really quite lovely, to be honest.
0:54:23 > 0:54:26It's not curled up at all, the leaves are fine.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29So, when we get this in the misting unit, this will just be lovely.
0:54:29 > 0:54:32The misting unit will just hydrate the leaves again
0:54:32 > 0:54:34and keep it nice and fresh for the pandas.
0:54:36 > 0:54:42Tian Tian and Yang Guang will munch their way through a staggering 70 kilos of this stuff a day.
0:54:42 > 0:54:44That's the weight of the average man.
0:55:03 > 0:55:04A light snack.
0:55:07 > 0:55:10The bamboo has passed the taste test,
0:55:10 > 0:55:12but what about Alison's panda cake?
0:55:14 > 0:55:16The proof is in the pudding.
0:55:20 > 0:55:21There we go.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Professor Tang and the Chinese keeper basically say
0:55:25 > 0:55:27this will be the test to see if they like your cooking.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29And they did, which was good.
0:55:29 > 0:55:33That's what I call a contented panda.
0:55:40 > 0:55:42After sleeping off their jet lag,
0:55:42 > 0:55:45the pandas are finally ready to meet the public.
0:55:48 > 0:55:52It's the grand opening. The enclosure's ready for its unveiling
0:55:52 > 0:55:55and the shop's now groaning with panda merchandise
0:55:55 > 0:55:56to tempt the public.
0:55:56 > 0:56:00Anybody else's first time seeing a panda?
0:56:00 > 0:56:04Everyone's eager to see the hottest couple in conservation for themselves.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07It's the first day of the public viewing of the pandas
0:56:07 > 0:56:10and we have a special man here to open them.
0:56:10 > 0:56:13He's the first man to book for quarter past nine.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16- I don't know if he's an expert at this...- I've never done this before!
0:56:16 > 0:56:19- Where do I go? Just there? - Yup.- Thank you!
0:56:19 > 0:56:20Yay!
0:56:21 > 0:56:24Thank you. Thank you very much.
0:56:24 > 0:56:26The first viewing is a sell-out.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39I would be delighted to answer any questions you've got
0:56:39 > 0:56:43regarding pandas or the conservation at the zoo here.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46Pandas are going to be transformational for the zoo.
0:56:46 > 0:56:51It really does allow us to change our whole investment structure for the zoo
0:56:51 > 0:56:55so that we create something really right for the 21st century.
0:56:55 > 0:56:59The whole world of conservation, the whole world of zoos,
0:56:59 > 0:57:02is constantly reinventing itself to be right for now and for the future
0:57:02 > 0:57:06and this gives us an opportunity to be major players in that way.
0:57:06 > 0:57:10The pandas hold their first British audience spellbound.
0:57:12 > 0:57:16It's fantastic. I can't believe it.
0:57:19 > 0:57:22Tian Tian and Yang Guang are bound to be a big success,
0:57:22 > 0:57:25but it's not all about making money.
0:57:25 > 0:57:28Research will now be carried out here that will help ensure
0:57:28 > 0:57:32the health and well bring of future generations of pandas.
0:57:32 > 0:57:36And there's the hope that one day the zoo will be blessed with a cub.
0:57:36 > 0:57:39It's going to be hugely significant
0:57:39 > 0:57:42if we can successfully breed an individual cub
0:57:42 > 0:57:48not only because the two pandas we have here within the panda population
0:57:48 > 0:57:50are genetically very important individuals
0:57:50 > 0:57:55so any offspring they produce is going to be also very important
0:57:55 > 0:57:58to the survival plan for pandas.
0:57:58 > 0:58:02And it will be another panda to add to the growing collection of pandas
0:58:02 > 0:58:06around the world that potentially could be released back into the wild.
0:58:08 > 0:58:12Man's impact on the pandas' habitat threatened to wipe them out for ever.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21But now, due to international collaborations like this one
0:58:21 > 0:58:23with Tian Tian and Yang Guang,
0:58:23 > 0:58:26combined with the expertise of the Chinese,
0:58:26 > 0:58:29pandas may one day thrive again in the wild.
0:58:44 > 0:58:47Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:58:47 > 0:58:51E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk