Edinburgh Pandas
 

Maybe only I would make this mistake, but in case others are similarly afflicted...

My husband's a teacher. He felt the children would be interested in seeing pictures of the pandas. So we booked a trip to Edinburgh this coming weekend. But alas the pandas are all booked up! The flights being paid for we're coming anyway. Edinburgh is a nice place and we can try out the suggestions in the Edinburgh restaurants thread. But if you want to see pandas remember they're on timed tickets and you would be advised to book well in advance.

It is true, and they are particularly difficult to get on weekends. I'm lucky - as a member of the Royal Zoological Society Scotland, I get access to an additional allowance of tickets, but even I usually have to plan my trips if I want to see the pandas. And some of the zoo's other main features, the penguins have been sent on a holiday as the pool need some repair, although the sunbears and otters are fab, and they have just obtained some meerkats

But the pandas themselves are fabulous. We're on tenderhooks up here, they are showing some signs of interest in mating (although it could be the zoo wishful thinking).

I thought 30% of the panda times could only be bought on the day - which on weekends, public & school holidays means an early start to be there when the zoo opens.

At other times (especially poor weather days) it's easier to get tickets

I think this is the case. I went in January with a friend on ASVA tickets, and were able to get tickets for the panda viewing that started 15 minutes after we arrived. This was a Tuesday in January if I recall, so that might have had something to do with it.

http://www.edinburghspotlight.com/20...edinburgh-zoo/ says they do walk-up tickets in limited numbers.

Thanks to the kindness of a friend I am now sorted, but getting up early on Saturday morning to join the queue would have been a tough ask :)

I had a ticket to see the pandas this monday just gone at 3:30pm but had to miss it to make my flight. The only other option was 10am but it was too early for us. I was disappointed. Why weren't their any slots a midday?

We did see the two koalas though. I was angry with the man next to me taking numeric shots with the flash on. Very inconsiderate.

Given my experience with the koalas, he was probably trying to get them to waken up ;)

(they're cute, but they really do sleep 95% of the time!).

As for the midday slots, they are normally available, so possible they had already sold out?

Well we saw them. They're cute. Pictures to follow.

You're right Jenbel, I just tried to book a date in the far future as a test and the viewings are every half hour. I have seen some you tube videos of the pandas now to satisfy my curiousity.

One of the main reasons we went to Edinburgh was to see the koalas as they are my gf's favourite animals. Yabbra was quite active actually for a short spell but after that they slept the whole time. Oh, to be a koala bear!

Seems as though the failed to mate in the end. The female is only fertile for 36 hours a year and the "deed" wasn't done despite encouragement from the park. They blamed the surroundings saying they were too unfamiliar for the Pandas. With a 36 hours fertility window it seems the Giant Panda is programmed to be extinct.

Saw a hilarious interview about the panda arrival. The penguins "sensed" that the visitors were headed to an adjacent compound and were passing by their gateway...some penguins hopped up to the fencing and were "whizzing" the folks. The zoo had to erect a plexiglass panel to stop the zoo visitors from the penguin poo. Jealousy? :D

The BBC reported on this in December - and even caught them in the act!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotlan...-fife-16270214

We purchased tickets in advance to see the pandas when we visited Edinburgh in February 2012. On the day we were there, the male panda was not feeling too chipper so he elected to stay in his hideaway. He was not available for viewing. We did see Tian Tian, the female panda; she was sleeping during our fifteen minutes of time with her.

I was glad that we were able to see both pandas when we volunteered at BFX, the Giant Panda Reserve in China that is serving as a temporary replacement for Wolong's reserve. We were allowed a quick glimpse of both pandas. We had to view them from a distance since they were in quarantine.