'Pambassors' head to Edinburgh
Chen Yinrong, Jerome Pouille and Melissa Rose Katz
Panda experts share knowledge with zoo visitors
Specially selected giant panda ambassadors, or "pambassadors", visited Edinburgh Zoo this week to share their knowledge with school students and zoo visitors.
The three pambassadors - Melissa Rose Katz, Chen Yinrong and Jerome Pouille - were selected from more than one million applicants to share their experience of spending time at the Chengdu Panda Base in China.
All three were chosen for their unique skills - Melissa, for example, is a renowned panda photographer, Chen is skilled at panda-related crafts and Jerome is well known for his panda knowledge.
During the event, the trio spoke to students from Lasswade and Queen Anne high schools, which are both part of the Scotland-China Education Network (SCEN).
Qu Jing, a representative for the Global Pambassadors Programme at Chegdu Panda Base, also attended the event. He shared his knowledge of environmental conservation, technological research and economic development in Chengdu.
As the event closed, students wrote messages and pledges which will be put on display at the Chengdu Panda Base.
During their one-year role, the trio of pambassors will take part in a global tour to raise awareness about panda conservation. They have so far visited Hong Kong, Singapore, Washington DC and Atlanta, and will next be visiting Paris.
Image courtesy of Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
