Final preparations are being put in place for giant pandas to arrive at Edinburgh Zoo in November.

Tian Tian and Yang Guang have been moved into quarantine in China as keepers get ready to move them 5000 miles across the world.

The breeding pair were given to UK as "a gift from China" during a visit from the Vice Premier of China, Li Kegiang, in January and will live at the zoo under the "custodianship" of the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland.

Representatives from the Chinese Wildlife Conservation Association are visiting the zoo in October for a final inspection of the facilities. If they are happy, the pandas will be settling into their new home by mid November.

With just 15,000 giant pandas left in the wild, the hope is the pair will breed.

Their head keeper in China, Yang Jie, said the success of breeding depends on how well they settle into their new home.

He said: "I do hope they can have a baby. It’s a question of how well they adapt. They need to like each other but whether or not they can successfully mate depends on the experience of the keepers."

Both the pandas were born in 2003. They will be housed in a refurbished enclosure that was formerly home to gorillas.

IN DETAIL

• Join the conversation on our Facebook page
• Chinese delegation to inspect panda enclosure
• Giant pandas coming to Edinburgh Zoo