The finals of China's first Mr and Mrs Panda Beauty Pageant are drawing near as mainland officials prepare to pick a pair of the cuddly mammals to give as gifts to Taiwan.
The Taiwan Affairs Office yesterday unveiled the identities of the 11 finalists, praising their physical beauty and personalities.
From an initial field of 23 pandas, only numbers 1, 3, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 17, 19, 21 and 22 made the final cut based on strict requirements for age, health, mental state, appearance and parentage. No11, a two-year-old male, likes dancing and gently snorting. No 13, a 68.3kg female named Sun, is the fastest eater and a powerful tree climber.
But sexual compatibility will be more important than the traditional talent contests, since the mainland hopes the pair will breed. The six males and five females will be mixed, but pandas are notoriously fickle about mating.
'After a certain amount of time ... for a sex test, we will determine the ideal pair,' said Zhang Hemin , an expert at the Wolong panda reserve in Sichuan.