China, Austria sign new giant panda cooperation agreement

BEIJING, June 26 (Xinhua) -- The China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and Austria's Schonbrunn Zoo on Wednesday signed an agreement to strengthen cooperation on the protection of giant pandas and related research.

A new pair of giant pandas from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda will be sent to Austria under a 10-year project, according to the agreement.

To ensure the pandas' health in Austria, Chinese experts traveled early this year to offer guidance on facilities, feeding, food management and health care.

Vienna's Schonbrunn Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in the world, with a history of more than 270 years.

The CWCA and Schonbrunn Zoo began cooperating on giant panda protection in 2003. Over the last two decades, their cooperation has achieved fruitful outcomes in panda conversation, breeding, scientific research, technological exchange, personnel training and public education.

A female panda, Yang Yang, and a male panda, Yuan Yuan, currently live at Schonbrunn Zoo. After Yang Yang and Yuan Yuan are returned to China this year, the zoo will renovate and upgrade its facilities, and make other preparations to provide a safer, more welcoming environment for the new panda pair.