On Wednesday, two giant pandas from China arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar. The Chinese government sent the panda to fulfil the agreement on panda conservation research between the two countries.
The Pandas were sent via a special flight to Doha, and they are expected to stay in Qatar for 15 years. The two pandas, named Si Hai, a three-year-old female, and Jing Jing, a four-year-old male, were from the Sichuan province.
This is the first time a giant panda has travelled to the Middle East. A team of breeders and veterinary experts were sent to help the giant pandas adapt to the new environment. Along with them, a team of people for on-site guidance and experts has also been set up.
Interestingly, the Pandas have arrived in Qatar ahead of the World Cup on November 20, though China is not qualified for the World Cup.
Over in Qatar, the government has built an air-conditioned hall and separate sleeping quarters for the pandas.
The Qatar government has prepared all of the necessities, such as a nursery, medical facility, adequate food preparation and bamboo preservation, and, most importantly, safety monitoring.
Before sending the pandas, they were quarantined and examined for a month to check their health conditions before departing.
The agreement between China and Qatar was signed in May 2020 and relates to promoting giant panda conservation as well as research on vulnerable species and biodiversity.
Reports suggest that the number of giant pandas has increased by 673 worldwide, and the population of wild giant pandas in China has increased from 1,114 in the 1980s to 1,864 as of today.
