Nuan Nuan is the baby panda born seven months ago in Malahysia's Zoo Negara.
Nuan Nuan is the name chosen from 23,000 suggestions from the Malaysian public in a month-long nationwide competition.
The baby panda is the offspring of Liang Liang and Xing Xing who are on loan to Malaysia from China. I think this new-born is on record as being the earliest to be born to a couple of pandas after relocation outside of China.
Nuan Nuan means warm and friendly which best exemplifies Malaysia and China's diplomatic relationship.
When it was first announced last year that the two pandas on loan from China will be housed at the Putrajaya Wetlands Park, I was disappointed. My thinking was (and still is) that Zoo Negara, our National Zoo would be a more suitable place for the pair of pandas in more ways than one.
Am I glad when I stumbled on a video released just yesterday indicating that the Cabinet has decided that Zoo Negara will be the home for the two pandas. Yay!
Construction of the exhibit enclosure will begin in June and come May 2014 visitors to Zoo Negara will be able to see the zoo's latest addition and attraction -- the adorable pair of giant pandas whose arrival has been highly anticipated by Malaysians.
The pandas will be on loan to Malaysia for ten years to mark the 14th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and China in 2014.
Forty acres of land have been set aside to grow bamboo - for the pandas consumption - alongside the project in Putrajaya by the Forest Reserve Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).
I expect there might be a little hike in admission fee to the Zoo Negara come May next year. But then again, it is a small price to pay to be able to see live pandas in our very own backyard instead of having to travel to China or overseas where pandas are available.
If you are wondering about the zoo's admission fees, here's a schedule of Entrance fees for Zoo Negara from the zoo's website. Click on image to enlarge it.
Last updated on June 20, 2014. (Click to enlarge image)
The countries nearest to Malaysia where we can view pandas are Thailand and Singapore. Malaysia will be the third country in the region to receive Giant Pandas from China.
Thailand received a pair of Giant Pandas in 2004, now in the Chiang Mai Zoo. Singapore's pair of giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, made their first public appearance at their new home at the Giant Panda Forest in Singapore's River Safari Zoo in November last year. The zoo will be their new home for the next 10 years. In 1991, the Singapore Zoo received two pandas, called An An and Xin Xing on loan from China for 100 days.
It is left to be seen as to whether Zoo Negara will be drawing up a viewing guideline similar to what Singapore Zoo has drawn up.
At the Singapore Zoo/Giant Panda Forest:
- Each ticket holder is able to stay 15 minutes in the enclosure.
- 150 people can go into the enclosure per viewing session.
- Each adult pays an extra S$5; a child pays an additional S$3 to visit the pandas.
The Giant Panda is the rarest member of the bear family and among the world's most threatened animals. Let's take a look at the countries that have received Giant Pandas from China..
Malaysia is in a sweet spot currently as China will loan two pandas to Malaysia as part of a collaboration between the China Wildlife Conservation Association and the Malaysian government. This is an honour as Malaysia joins the ranks of only a few countries that have received pandas.
Source: Wikipedia
A little about Panda Diplomacy from Wikipedia: Loans of giant pandas to American and Japanese zoos formed an important part of the diplomacy of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in the 1970s, as it marked some of the first cultural exchanges between the People's Republic and the West. This practice has been termed "Panda diplomacy".
By 1984, however, pandas were no longer given as gifts. Instead, the PRC began to offer pandas to other nations only on 10-year loans, under terms including a fee of up to US$1,000,000 per year and a provision that any cubs born during the loan are the property of the PRC.
Not sure if there is a fee involved for the two pandas coming to Malaysia but one thing is for sure, Malaysians and people visiting Malaysia will get a chance to see pandas in person although it may be a challenge for the keepers in keeping the pandas comfortable in our hot and humid weather.
The pandas, to be on loan for 10 years, mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relationship between both countries in 2014. Bilateral relations between Malaysia and China started during the tenure of late Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, who was the father of the current Prime Minister, Najib Abdul Razak.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said that the presence of the pandas would promote public awareness on panda conservation undertaken by China. This will encourage the public to appreciate and learn the importance of biodiversity and wildlife conservation in Malaysia.
A nationwide contest to name the pandas would be held to spur interest among Malaysians to learn more about this unique animal.
The two pandas will be placed in a special exhibit in Taman Wetland, Putrajaya. There, now there's another reason to visit Putrajaya, the Federal Government Administrative Centre replacing Kuala Lumpur as the administrative capital.
Update:
China news reports in April reported that Malaysia would spend a whopping RM20mil for the upkeep of the pandas.
The budget is expected to cover for the construction of an air-conditioned sanctuary for the pandas, importing bamboos from China for their meals as well to train local handlers for the animals. (Source:Giant Pandas for Malaysia)
