Baby Panda to return to China

If you have yet to visit the pandas in Zoo Negara, the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, you may want to do so soon if you want to see them or especially baby panda Nuan Nuan who is the offspring of the couple, Xing Xing and Liang Liang.

The zoo has started making preparations for Nuan Nuan's return to China to the Giant Panda Santuaries in Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan, soon. Nuan Nuan, which means warmth, is the first Malaysian-born panda cub.

Nuan Nuan is the offspring of Xing Xing and Liang Liang. The pair came to Malaysia in 2014 on a 10-year loan from China.

Preparation includes keeping the cub in a small cage once a week for 30 minutes so that she can get used to the enclosed condition during the air and road travel. This training began in mid-August. She is also separated from her mother, Liang Liang periodically so that she can get used to not seeing her mother.

Nuan Nuan is also able to understand the Sichuan dialect, thanks to one of her keepers from China, which makes the cub ready when she goes back to China.

For more information on the pandas and entry rates to the zoo, check out National Zoo.


Source: The Star - Prepping baby panda for trip back to China

Nuan Nuan, the new baby Panda born in Malaysia

N is for Nuan Nuan.

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.

Check out the little guy...

Flock of cranes in Kuala Lumpur

Stumbled upon this beautiful picture on Yahoo! of a flock of cranes flying past the rising moon in Nauen near Berlin, Germany - Friday, October 18, 2013. The caption says the cranes rest in the wetlands west of Berlin on their way from breeding places in the north to their wintering grounds in the south.

If you commute to work using the North-South Expressway in Kuala Lumpur, you may have noticed a flock of cranes flying overhead.  They do so twice a day, once in the morning, the other time in the evening. There used to be just a handful many years ago but currently, there are as many as 15 or 20 of them.

Catch them at around 7o'clock in the morning gliding above along the river in Ulu Kelang (best viewed near Bukit Antarabangsa) heading towards the direction of Ampang/Cheras from the National Zoo - that is where they rest at night. In the evening, the cranes can be seen flying back to the zoo at around 6 or 7pm. It's a sight to behold, so look out for them the next time you are in the Ulu Kelang area.

I have no idea where they go to or where they are in the day but sometimes they can be spotted perched on telephone wires along the North-South Expressway in the evenings. Happy looking out for these big birds as they glide by on their way to hunt or to roost.

Giant Pandas in Malaysia at Zoo Negara

Update: Pandas are now open to the public..

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..

Source: The Star
Here's a map to the National Zoo (Zoo Negara) in Kuala Lumpur..


View Larger Map

Beautiful Pictures of Animal Photography

The other day, I passed by the National Zoo at Ulu Klang and was pleasantly surprised by the new refurbished look of its entrance. Well, it's about time!

It's been many years since I last visited the National Zoo so I suppose a visit again is on the cards. I'm actually very happy that the authorities decided not to relocate the National Zoo. It's just about 12km from the city center. The proposed location is so remotely away from the city that the distance would be a deterrent to visitors. As it is, National Zoo is badly in need of more gate-takings.











A zoo provides one with a lot of photo opportunities, that is if you like animal photography. Many factors come into play in order to get the best results - patience and determination and having skills relating to photography including camera-handling.

If animal photography is your favourite, you will enjoy these stunning animal photos. Check out the site for more beautiful pictures of animal photography.