Edinburgh Zoo's giant pandas might be returning to China

Tian Tian arrived in Scotland, along with Yang Guang, from China in 2011

Two giant pandas from Edinburgh may have to go home to China due to the impact of coronavirus.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang have lived at Edinburgh Zoo for 10 years - they are the only giant pandas in the UK.

They arrived in Scotland in 2011 and it costs around 1 million dollars (£750,000) a year to 'borrow' them from China.

However the 10-year deal that Edinburgh have with China is about to come to an end and the zoo aren't sure if they'll be able to renew it because of the effects of zoo closures in the coronavirus pandemic.

This is Yang Guang and he was given a new enclosure in 2019

Coronavirus restrictions have meant the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park,has lost £2 million this year.

In order to keep the zoo open, David Field - the boss of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland - said he will have to consider lots of ways of saving money - and this includes the giant pandas' contract.

"Although our parks are open again, we lost around £2 million last year and it seems certain that restrictions, social distancing and limits on our visitor numbers will continue for some time, which will also reduce our income," Mr Field said.

"Yang Guang and Tian Tian have made a tremendous impression on our visitors over the last nine years, helping millions of people connect to nature and inspiring them to take an interest in wildlife conservation.

"I would love for them to be able to stay for a few more years with us and that is certainly my current aim."

Can anything be done to keep the pandas in Scotland?

The zoo was hopeful that Tian Tian and Yang Guang would have a panda cub, but that hasn't happened yet.

The zoo have already made lots of changes. They have borrowed money from the government - which they will have to pay back - and some staff have lost their jobs.

They also launched a fundraising appeal to try and keep the zoo running.

"The support we have received from our members and animal lovers has helped to keep our doors open and we are incredibly grateful," Mr Field added.

"At this stage, it is too soon to say what the outcome will be. We will be discussing next steps with our colleagues in China over the coming months."