A Taipei municipal zoo won approval from Taiwan authority to accept the mainland's panda pair Thursday.

Taiwan's "Agricultural Council" made the announcement on Thursday evening, saying a panel of experts chose the Mucha Zoo in Taipei to house the pandas over the Leofoo Safari Park in Hsinchu after a field inspection on their qualifications and ability to feed them.

The Mucha Zoo could now apply for import and quarantine licenses from Taiwan authorities and then discuss the acceptance issue with the mainland.

The mainland promised in 2005 to send to Taiwan two pandas, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan, meaning "reunion" in Chinese.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)