Panda pair land in new home in Qatar

Two giant pandas arrived at Hamad International Airport in Doha, capital of Qatar on Wednesday morning, on a special flight from China. They are expected to remain in Qatar for 15 years.

At 3:30 pm on Tuesday, three-year-old female panda Si Hai and four-year-old male panda Jing Jing left the Ya'an panda base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, for Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and will take a special plane to Qatar.

It is the first time giant pandas will travel to the Middle East, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda said.

The center has also sent breeders and veterinary experts to help the giant pandas adapt to the new environment.

Dong Li, a breeder, said: "We have prepared steamed corn bread, bamboo shoots, carrots and other foods for giant pandas in case that they need them for journey".