China loans pandas

BERLIN: Two panda bears would be transported at the end of the month from Beijing to Berlin on a special direct cargo flight that allowed the animals to skip having to make a stressful stopover in Frankfurt, veterinarian Andreas Ochs said yesterday.

The pandas, which will be on loan to the Berlin zoo for a period of 15 years, will spend the 12-hour flight in a cage with a water supply, bamboo and a special device that serves as a toilet.

Ochs will join the pandas on the June 24 flight alongside several Chinese animal attendants.

Giant pandas are often loaned to other countries as a sign of good diplomatic relations.