Taiwan zoo hopes to welcome China pandas in November

0 Comments | AFP, September, 2008

TAIPEI (AFP) — Officials at Taiwan's biggest zoo said Wednesday they hoped to welcome a pair of giant pandas from rival China as early as November, a move expected to draw millions of tourists to the capital.

Taipei's Mucha Zoo, which was chosen last month to house the endangered animals, has now applied for an import license to bring the pandas to Taiwan as soon as possible.

"Considering the climate, November-December is the best season to move the two giant pandas here," zoo spokesman Chin Shih-chien told AFP.

"If everything goes smoothly, they could be introduced to Taiwan in November at the earliest."

Chin said he expected the pandas to spark a frenzy among Taiwanese animal lovers, drawing as many as six million visitors to the zoo annually....