Wrapped in a thick coat and hat to guard against the freezing temperatures, Greenwood, 52, an events manager, had travelled from Cambridge to watch Tian Tian and Yang Guang grazing on bamboo, sleeping and exercising.
She was not alone: the news that the only pandas in the UK were leaving after 12 years as Edinburgh zoo's most charismatic residents drew visitors from across the country. Long queues formed at weekends; scuffles even broke out as visitors wrestled for space against the windows in the separate feeding rooms for the animals.
"I've been desperately trying to get here to see them," Greenwood said.
"It's been a really tough year and a particularly tough month. In the end, I was just like: 'I have to go. I don't care. I'm going."
Alongside Greenwood were Chinese students, a family from Fife and dozens of others. Three young women from Edinburgh who all work at the Odeon had been brought by Katie Cheung, 19. She said she had seen the pandas "a tonne of times" since they arrived in Edinburgh in
2011 to febrile hype and a welcoming party that included Scotland's then deputy first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, and Chinese dignitaries.
This story is from the December 02, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the December 02, 2023 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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