Edinburgh’s Yang Guang scoops ‘Panda Personality of Year’ award
● Star attraction beats competition from other zoos around the world
He has been a star attraction for visitors to Edinburgh since 2011 but has had a rough couple of years, struggling with ill health and infertility.
But now Edinburgh Zoo’s male giant panda Yang Guang has won the coveted “Panda Personality of the Year” award at the Giant Panda Global Awards.
The bear – the only male panda in the UK – received the top gold award, beating competition from pandas in zoos around the world. a panda cub called Sai Hin from Adventure World in Japan won silver in the Panda Personality category, while Yi Yi from Zoo Negara in Malaysia took bronze.
The zoo’s panda Keeping Team was also given a silver award at the event, at the Pairi Daiz zoo, in Belgium.
Jo Elliott, animal collection manager at Edinburgh Zoo, said: “We’re thrilled that Yang Guang won Panda Personality of the Year at the 2019 Giant Panda Global Awards.
“He is a firm favourite with our staff and visitors and a fantastic ambassador for his species, helping to raise awareness of the threats facing wildlife across the world.
“Our expert panda team also received a silver award for Panda Keepers of the Year, which is a fantastic achievement and testament to their enthusiasm and dedication.
“Each year the Giant Panda Global Awards showcase the important panda conservation work taking place in China and abroad, and we’re honoured to have been a participant once again.”
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland tweeted: “We always knew Yang Guang was a winner.”
Yang Guang – which means Sunlight – arrived in Scotland
in 2011 as part of a panda pair on loan to Britain from China. All giant pandas are only loaned to overseas zoos from the Chinese government.
The awards, now in their seventh year, are run by website www.giantpandaglobal.com, run by panda enthusiast Jeroen Jacobs, to promote the important panda conservation work. The public poll generated 328,445 votes from around the world in 15 categories.
Edinburgh Zoo officials have tried unsuccessfully to breed
Yang Guang and female panda Tian Tian (or Sweetie) for seven years. Yang Guang had both testicles removed in November 2018 after tumours were discovered and Tian Tian has since been artificially inseminated by another panda.
Yang Guang and Tian Tian recently moved to a new home at the zoo, amid plans to redevelop the former Corstorphine Hospital next to the site. The move will mean there is no disturbance to the pandas from noise or vibrations from the building work.
There are only 1,864 giant pandas left in the wild. The captive population was just 600 in 2019.
Mr Jacobs said: “I would like to congratulate all winners and thank all voters who have supported the Giant Panda Global Awards, an event created to promote panda conservation, education and research activities.”
The Belgian zoo that hosted the event has three giant pandas, including a cub.
“Yang Guang is a firm favourite with staff and visitors and a fantastic ambassador for his species, helping to raise awareness of the threats facing wildlife across the world”
JO ELLIOTT
Animal collection manager at Edinburgh Zoo