Queen Sofía of Spain attended the event celebrating the 50th anniversary of Madrid’s zoo, during which she had the honour of being present for the first public outing of the facility’s newest stars, twin pandas.
On Monday, 21st of March, while King Felipe and Queen Letizia were handing out the National Design and Innovation Awards, the King’s mother arrived at Madrid’s Zoo, where she was welcomed by state and local authorities, as well as a representation of organisations that collaborate with the zoo.
The event began with the projection of a video summarising all the most relevant activities of the 5 decades, focussing especially on conservation projects and awareness campaigns through collaborations with NGOs and the public.
It was then time for speeches from all authorities present; the Delegate Councilor of the United Parks association thanked Queen Sofía for her passion for conservation, especially through support of programs for endangered species like pandas.
Authorities then handed the Queen Emerita the gift of a frame with pictures from all of her previous visits to the Madrid Zoo, before everyone posed in front of the plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary of the facility.
Then it was time for the moment everyone was waiting for. Queen Sofía watched as twin giant pandas, Jiu Jiu and You You, made their first appearance on the display paddock after turning six months old. The two cubs delighted the public by displaying their health during playtime.
Madrid Zoo was opened on the 23rd of June 1972, and is currently home to around 1300 animals belonging to 333 different species, including endangered species.
In 1979, during King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía’s first State visit to China, the Royal couple was gifted a couple of giant pandas as a symbol of good relations and conservation. The Royals decided to entrust the care of the animals to the Madrid Zoo, and they have been there ever since, doing their part in preserving the species in captivity, since in the wild there are rumoured to be only 1600 animals left.
The ties between China and the Madrid Zoo through the first pandas born on Spanish soil explains the presence of the Chinese Ambassador to Spain at the ceremony.
