Giant pandas meet the public at Edinburgh Zoo

The first 600 visitors prebooked to view the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo are to see them later as they go on public display for the first time. Groups are scheduled for 30 minute slots from 09:15am to see female Tian Tian and male Yang Guang.

Although the pandas arrived from China on 4 December but they had been given 10 days to recover from their long journey before going on display to the public. Visitor numbers will mark a 200% rise on usual numbers for a December Friday.

Zoo officials said pre-booked tickets for the first weekend were up by about 80% on usual expectations for a pre-Christmas winter weekend. Each giant panda enclosure has a glass wall for the public to view the animals

The pandas' new £250,000 home at the zoo includes two separate enclosures. When Tian Tian comes into season the pair will be introduced to each other - possibly in February or March. Tian Tian has had twin cubs in the past, and Yang Guang has also fathered cubs - though not as a pair together.

The panda's arrival from the Ya'an reserve in Chengdu, China, marks the culmination of a five-year effort to bring the animals to Scotland zoo. The pair will stay at the zoo for at least 10 years.