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| Beijing Unveils Panda Couple for Taiwan |
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The mainland unveiled Friday the two giant pandas to be presented to
The panda couple, namely No.19 (male) and No.16 (female), was selected from 23 candidates raised at Wolong's China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda (CCRCGP) in the southwestern province of Sichuan, said No.19, first son of the US-returned star panda "Hua Mei," is one year and four months old, weighing "The panda experts were very, very cautious during the selection. So I can say No.19 and No.16 are the best choice," he said. "We hope the couple can go to Taiwan as soon as possible and the Taiwan authorities can follow the wishes of the people on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, providing active cooperation on this issue," Dai Xiaofeng, head of the exchange bureau with the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, said today. "We also hope the
In addition, the mainland began to solicit pet names for the two giant pandas. An ideal name will consist of two Chinese characters and fully embody the aspiration of Chinese compatriots across the Taiwan Straits, Cao said. Chinese compatriots on both sides of the Straits, overseas Chinese and all friendly personages are welcome to mull names for the panda couple, he said. The China Wildlife Conservation Association will be responsible for the name mulling project, which will last from now until 8 PM on January 20. "We'll shortlist 10 pairs of names that will be publicized at the Spring Festival gala broadcast by China Central Television on January 28, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year," Cao said. "The couple will be given the names that receive most votes from TV viewers." Chen Yunlin, director of the Taiwan Affairs Office, announced last May that the mainland would present a pair of giant pandas to The panda selection standards included physiology, psychology, behavior, looks, genetics and age, said Zhang Hemin, director of the CCRCGP and head of the nine-member expert group in charge of the selection work. "First, we should make sure that the two are not close relatives and then consider that the couple can breed babies in Taiwan," Zhang said. "So their age should be one to four as giant pandas usually get sexually mature at the age of four to five." Some leading zoologists from The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in
(Xinhua News Agency January 6, 2006) |
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