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Edinburgh Zoo could lose its giant pandas next year due to coronavirus financial impact
The 10-year contract for the mating pair is set to come to an end next year and it costs the zoo around £1m a year to lease the two animals.
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UK s giant pandas may have to go back to China over financial pressure
Tian Tian and Yang Guang could soon face a long journey back to China as their lease at Edinburgh Zoo is due to expire at the end of the year and it s unclear if the zoo can afford to keep them in the UK
Tian Tian and her partner Yang Guang could be forced to move back to China (Image: Getty Images)
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image captionTian Tian arrived in Scotland, along with Yang Guang, from China in 2011
Edinburgh Zoo s giant pandas may have to return to China next year because of financial pressures.
Yang Guang and Tian Tian cost about £1m a year to lease from China.
The zoo, which had hoped to breed the pair, is nearing the end of its 10-year contract with the Chinese government and may be unable to renew the deal.
Covid lockdown closures led to a £2m loss for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park.
David Field, chief executive of the society, said the charity would have to seriously consider every potential saving , including its giant panda contract.
Edinburgh Zoo may have to return its giant pandas to China due to financial pressures created by the coronavirus pandemic.
Tian Tian and Yang Guang arrived on a 10-year loan from China in December 2011 and are the UK s only giant pandas.
But the mating pair, who cost about £1m a year to lease, may have to return there next year thanks to a £2m blackhole in funds. Image: Yang Guang is affectionately known as Sunshine
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs both Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park, said it suffered after it was forced to close for three months during the summer.