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The first giant pandas to live in Britain for almost two decades are to have a ‘tunnel of love’ to encourage them to mate and a nursery for their offspring, it has emerged。 Edinburgh Zoo unveiled plans for the £250,000 state-of-the-art enclosure being built for the pair, called Tian Tian and Yang Guang, ahead of their arrival from China later this year。 Among the other features of their new home, the zoo’s former gorilla house, will be a bamboo forest, a small cave suitable for sleeping, climbing frames and paddling pools to cool themselves。 There will also be a fully-fitted kitchen for keepers to prepare food, a hospital for dealing with any emergencies, a birthing area and the nursery。 The public will be able to view the pandas at close quarters from either a split-level, glass-fronted walkway or a number of webcams that will broadcast live footage over the internet。 However, one area where it is hoped the pandas can get some privacy is the tunnel running between their two enclosures. They are notoriously solitary animals and their breeding season lasts only between two and seven days from March to May。 Marty Hall, the zoo’s facilities manager, said: “The tunnel means that they can meet up at controlled times and there are enough areas away from the public where they can go and hide away together。” Both pandas are being lent to Britain for 10 years, although it is expected that any offspring they produce during that period will be returned to China shortly after birth。 | 
