SIDELINES //

Cupid’s Arrow Strikes Panda Pair at French Zoo

by Heather Bond

Pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi © Reuters

A few days into their new home at the ZooParc de Beauval in the Loire Valley, pandas Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, are creating quite a stir.

The pair is already showing interest in each other and giving hope to zookeepers that cubs could be in their future.

The 3 year old pandas came courtesy of China on a 10 year loan.

China has been sending pandas abroad in a sign of goodwill since the 1950s, and it is hoped Yuan Zi and Huan Huan will further repair tensions between Paris and Beijing that began when pro-Tibet activists disrupted the Olympic torch relay in Paris in 2008, ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

More details and images of the pair can be seen here.

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About the Author

Heather Bond posts from Chicago, the windiest city in the world. She likes yoga, pub trivia, a hot towel and a fully reclined seat. She hopes her next trip will be to Djibouti, because she loves to say Djibouti so much. You can read more from Heather at http://metronaturale.wordpress.com/ and follow her on Twitter @metro_naturale.