The two panda cubs, Yi Yi and Sheng Yi, will be returned to China on August 29 in compliance with the International Giant Panda Conservation Agreement between Malaysia and China, according to the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC).
The cubs’ return has been delayed for several years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the ministry added.
In 2014, Fu Wa and Feng Yi, the giant panda pair, were loaned to the Malaysian government for 10 years to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Malaysia-China diplomatic relations. They were renamed Xing Xing and Liang Liang (female).
Since then, the pair has given birth to three cubs: Nuan Nuan on August 18, 2015; Yi Yi on January 14, 2018; and Sheng Yi on May 30, 2021. Nuan Nuan was returned to China in 2017, according to the ministry’s statement on Friday (August 25).
China has yet to announce an official date for the return of Yi Yi and Sheng Yi, as stated by Rosly@Rahmat Ahmat Lana, the deputy president of Zoo Negara, last week.
On the other hand, NRECC mentioned that Xing Xing and Liang Liang, the giant panda couple, celebrated their 17th birthday at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre, Zoo Negara. The event, organized by the China Cultural Centre Kuala Lumpur in collaboration with Zoo Negara, was attended by Abdul Wahid Abu Salim, the NRECC deputy secretary-general (natural resources), along with representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce, and the Malaysian Zoological Society.
The ministry’s statement expressed the hope that the Giant Panda diplomacy would enhance the understanding between Malaysia and China.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
