So far, Guangzhou has established relationships with 100 sister cities. In Guangzhou Zoo, there are quite a few animals that used to be gifts sent from sister cities. The local people love them and regard them as “Animal Diplomats.”

Who are they? Let's have a look!

Video/Guangzhou Daily

Kanta, the male hippo (left), was born in Fukuoka, Japan, the first sister city of Guangzhou in 2000. Shortly after he was sent to Guangzhou Zoo in 2003, he got married to Qingqing (right), a lady hippo. They now have 15 descendants. 

According to the Zoo,  Kanta eats over two pounds of carrots and one pound of apples every day.

Yuelong (right), the biggest Asian elephant in Guangzhou Zoo is the son of Yilong, a male elephant sent by Ho Chi Minh, the former Vietnamese leader to the zoo as a gift in 1960.  Guangzhou and Ho Chi Minh City became sister cities in 1996. The specimens of Yilong and his wife Babao are now housed in a museum in Sun Yat-Sen University.  

As a big eater, Yuelong eats 190kg of food per day, including grass, maize and fruits. 

Dada, the Aldabra giant tortoise, arrived in GZ in 2014 from Victoria, capital of Seychelles. 

Aldabra giant tortoise is the most long-lived tortoise in the world with a life expectancy of more than 200 years. Dada, now in his 30s, has a big appetite and can eat up to 10 kg of fresh leaves per day.

Source: Guangzhou Daily
Reported by Zhang Shuhong
Photo by Luo Changwei
Video by Luo Changwei, Zhang Shuhong
Video edited by Gao Kaishen, Zhong Jiaxuan (intern)
Editor: Lv Yun