Giant pandas
After 12 incredible years, Yang Guang and Tian Tian the giant pandas left the zoo on Monday 4 December.
As the UK’s only giant pandas, they were incredibly popular with visitors which helped to connect millions of people with nature as well as raise vital funds for wildlife conservation, helping to create a world where nature is protected, valued and loved.
2011
Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived in Scotland in December 2011 as part of a ten-year agreement between RZSS and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
2016
Pandas are reclassified from Endangered to Vulnerable by the IUCN. A testament to the collaborative approach both in the field and through research across the world.
2018
Yang Guang recovers from surgery to remove both testicles due to the presence of tumours after group consultation by British and Chinese giant panda specialists.
2019
Yang Guang and Tian Tian move into their brand new home near the top of the zoo.
2020
Yang Guang wins gold in Panda Personality of the Year and the panda team win silver in Panda Keepers of the Year in the 2019 Giant Panda Global Awards.
2021
Scottish artist Steven Brown paints ‘Sunshine McZoo’, inspired by Yang Guang, to raise funds for conservation.
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2021
Yang Guang and Tian Tian's stay is extended by two years after the Covid-19 pandemic made it harder for people to visit them.
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2022
A lucky winner secured their very own eight-foot-tall panda themed giraffe sculpture, which was part of Edinburgh Zoo’s Giraffe About Town art trail installed across Scotland’s capital.
2023
Vet Steph and keeper Michael accompanied Yang Guang and Tian Tian on their flight back home to China after the panda pair's 12 year stay at Edinburgh Zoo.
