But the fluffy expats finally returned to their native China on Monday after the end of a deal between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
Michael Livingstone, a senior animal keeper at the zoo, joined them on their journey.
He said: “They’re very different to look after. As a team we have looked after many different species of bear.
“We were fairly confident we knew what kind of hurdles we might need to cross and jump over for looking after panda.
“And when they arrived it was completely different to what we thought.
“They are a very sensitive, very specialised species so we very quickly learned all the different things we needed to do with them or around them.
“I can speak for myself and the other keepers in the team at the zoo that have looked after them it’s going to be a bit of a sad and emotional time.
“It is sad for us that they are going back, I think it’s always been one of those things that’s just been in the future and now we’re at the point where it’s actually happening.”
