Source: CCTV.com

06-07-2008 16:12

Special Report:   Strong quake jolts SW China

Eight pandas from Sichuan's earthquake zone met their fans for the first time at Beijing zoo on Thursday. The pandas will continue their celebrity visit through the Olympics.

Eight pandas from Sichuan's earthquake zone met their fans for the  first time at Beijing zoo on Thursday. The pandas will continue  their celebrity visit through the Olympics.

After a long journey from their damaged reserve, the pandas arrived on May 24 to a newly built panda house at the Beijing Zoo.

These pandas were scheduled to spend six months at the zoo. The special visit was planned so tourists could come and see them during the Olympics. Last month's devastating earthquake destroyed the panda breeding centre. It was only 30km from the earthquake's epicentre.

All of the pandas were born during July and August, 2006. They were flown to Beijing on a special charter plane from Sichuan's capital city Chengdu.

According to keepers, the pandas were frightened by the earthquake. It made them nervous. They slept and ate less.