12 October 2003

Festive crowd greets pandas

Two young giant pandas arrived on loan from China. The pair attracted a crowd of hundreds, some wearing panda costumes, to welcome the animals at Chiang Mai Airport.

Eight-year-old Krisana Nillavas waited about five hours at the airport to see them and declared: ‘It is the cutest bear in the whole wide world.’ But others said their first glimpse of the rare animals was anti-climactic because the pandas had been heavily sedated for their journey. The pandas were transferred to Chiang Mai Zoo, where they rested for 45 days before the public was allowed to view them.

12 October 2003

Festive crowd greets pandas

Two young giant pandas arrived on loan from China. The pair attracted a crowd of hundreds, some wearing panda costumes, to welcome the animals at Chiang Mai Airport.

Eight-year-old Krisana Nillavas waited about five hours at the airport to see them and declared: ‘It is the cutest bear in the whole wide world.’ But others said their first glimpse of the rare animals was anti-climactic because the pandas had been heavily sedated for their journey. The pandas were transferred to Chiang Mai Zoo, where they rested for 45 days before the public was allowed to view them.