Channel NewsAsia, 6 Sep 2012
Singapore welcomed two new residents, giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia from Chengdu, China on Thursday morning.
The pandas are in Singapore on a 10-year loan from the Chinese government to mark two decades of strong ties between China and Singapore.
Kai Kai and Jia Jia boarded a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 cargo freighter at 3.45am on Thursday morning.
They arrived at Singapore Changi Airport about four and a half hours later, at 8.20am along with a team of five keepers and vets from both China and Singapore who were also on board to ensure the pandas' well-being.
They arrived at Singapore Changi Airport about four and a half hours later, at 8.20am along with a team of five keepers and vets from both China and Singapore who were also on board to ensure the pandas' well-being.
"Singapore Airlines is pleased to have transported Kai Kai and Jia Jia to Singapore," said the CEO of Singapore Airlines, Mr Goh Choon Phong.
"We warmly welcome them to their new home at the River Safari and are privileged to be playing our part in this significant conservation initiative."
It was the pandas' first time away from home, and extra care was taken to minimise stress for the animals.
It was the pandas' first time away from home, and extra care was taken to minimise stress for the animals.
The departure and arrival times were scheduled to reduce climate-related discomfort for the pandas.
The cabin temperature was kept between 18 to 22 degrees celsius, consistent to their native habitat in Sichuan, China.
Fruits, water and about 90kg of bamboo were carried on board for the pandas' meals.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore also brought along bamboo from Guangzhou, in case the pandas need time to adjust to the taste of locally-grown bamboo.
The pandas travelled in custom-made crates which offer ample ventilation and space to move about.
A welcome ceremony was held at the JetQuay Terminal at Changi Airport, and the pair were brought to their new home at River Safari in a temperature-controlled vehicle.
At Mandai, groups of eager panda-spotters lined up to welcome the pair.
At Mandai, groups of eager panda-spotters lined up to welcome the pair.
The Wildlife Reserves Singapore said there're plans to expand Singapore's role in the conservation project.
Chairman of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, Claire Chiang, said: "Maybe Singapore would host a conference next year during the anniversary of the River Safari to seriously look at the findings of respective countries. I think we could all learn from one another on the adaptability of the pandas."
The pandas will be in quarantine at a special den for a month where they'll be closely monitored and given time to settle in before they move into their million-dollar home at Singapore's upcoming tourist attraction, the River Safari.
But panda lovers will have wait till December for the celebrity pair's debut when the giant panda exhibit opens to the public.
For those who can't get enough of the pandas, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched the 2012 Giant Panda Commemorative Coins, with the Silver Proof coin fashioned for the first time in a unique oval shape.
For those who can't get enough of the pandas, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has launched the 2012 Giant Panda Commemorative Coins, with the Silver Proof coin fashioned for the first time in a unique oval shape.
Costing between S$25 and S$140, the coins issued to mark the arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia also help highlight the threat of extinction faced by giant pandas today and the importance of wildlife conservation, the MAS said.
The coins come in three different versions bearing the pandas' names engraved in Chinese characters and feature Kai Kai and Jia Jia in their natural habitat.
The coins can be purchased online and at Singapore Mint outlets. Part of the proceeds will go to Wildlife Reserves Singapore.
There are also stamps, illustrated by actor Edmund Chen, as part of the collectibles.
Additionally, Singapore Airlines has launched a set of toy pandas to help raise funds for charity and these limited edition toys, each costing S$20, will go on sale on Saturday.
They will be sold at six locations - Bugis Junction, Changi Airport, Ion Orchard, Plaza Singapura, Suntec City and United Square. Retail hours start at mid-morning.
Each person can get up to four.
The money will go to Community Chest to help children with special needs.
**********************
* Jia Jia gives birth to Singapore's first giant panda cub at River Safari on 14 August 2021
Mother and cub now in off-exhibit den to nurse and bond; public can visit them in about 3 months
By Ng Keng Gene, The Straits Times, 16 Aug 2021
The first giant panda cub born in Singapore and its mother, Jia Jia, will return to their exhibit in the River Safari in about three months.
Members of the public will then be able to see the cub, which was born at about 7.50am on Saturday to Jia Jia and father Kai Kai.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which operates the River Safari, yesterday announced the birth and called it "a joyful boost to the ongoing National Day celebrations this year". It added that the panda cub's gender has not been determined and will be announced later.
Jia Jia and her cub, which weighs about 200g, are in an off-exhibit den to give them time to nurse and bond, WRS said.
"We will post regular updates with videos and photos of Jia Jia and her cub on our social media platforms so everyone can keep abreast of their development," said WRS.
It also said that more updates will be announced in the coming weeks, including the cub's name.
The successful birth comes after the giant pandas' seventh breeding season. They began mating in 2015.
Giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, in part due to the narrow window for conception. Females ovulate only once a year, and their fertility peaks for just 24 to 36 hours.
WRS said 13-year-old Kai Kai and 12-year-old Jia Jia displayed signs of being in heat in April.
It said its animal care team was optimistic that the pandas would naturally breed this year, as the pair had shown improvements in their mating techniques the year before.
However, the keepers did not observe clear signs of successful mounting.
Experts from the China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Panda advised WRS vets to perform artificial insemination before the end of Jia Jia's receptive period, to make the most of the once-a-year breeding season.
The procedure was carried out by WRS' in-house veterinary team, using frozen semen collected from Kai Kai before the mating season.
It was through the artificial insemination that Jia Jia conceived.
Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, WRS' deputy chief executive and chief life sciences officer, said ultrasound scans done last month showed a thickening of Jia Jia's cervix and some fluid in the uterine horns.
"We stayed hopeful for Jia Jia while maintaining her ultrasound checks to monitor developments," he said, noting that female giant pandas can experience pseudopregnancy - where they show hormonal and behavioural signs of pregnancy even when they are not expecting.
Dr Cheng said the only sure way to confirm a pregnancy is through seeing a foetus that is near to term.
A giant panda's gestation period ranges from three months to more than five months.
Last Tuesday, a WRS vet saw a clear outline of a foetus with a strong heartbeat during an ultrasound scan.
"Jia Jia's first pregnancy and birth of a cub is a significant milestone for us in the care of this threatened species in Singapore," said Dr Cheng. "The work continues now with supporting the first-time mother to raise her newborn cub."
WRS said that outside of China, giant panda breeding is quite sporadic. Some countries have yet to achieve successful breeding despite many years of attempts, while not many of those that were successful have been able to repeat the success on a regular basis, it noted.
Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrived in Singapore in September 2012, on a decade-long loan from China.
Sponsored by real estate company CapitaLand, they are one of the River Safari's main attractions.
Under the agreement, the baby panda will return to China when it turns two, said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Transport Baey Yam Keng in a comment on his Facebook post about the birth.
Asked about the panda family's future, given the newborn cub, WRS said that details will be announced in due course.
** Singapore's first panda cub named Le Le; public can see him twice a day from 30 December 2021
By Goh Yan Han, The Straits Times, 29 Dec 2021
Say hello to baby Le Le - the first panda cub born in the Republic - which will be receiving visitors at River Wonders from Thursday (Dec 30).
Viewing times at his new glass-fronted nursery at the Giant Panda Forest are scheduled for around 10.30am and 3.30pm daily for about 20 to 30 minutes, in line with his and his mother’s present routines, said Mandai Wildlife Group.
The male cub’s name, which comes from an old Chinese term "shi le po", referring to Singapore, was jointly announced on Wednesday (Dec 29) by Singapore and China.
Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Chinese Vice-Premier Han Zheng revealed the name at a virtual ceremony.
Both ministers are co-chairs of the 17th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation and related Joint Steering Council meetings, held virtually on Wednesday.
The term "shi le po" was in use back when Singapore was starting out as a trading port. It is also a transliteration of the Malay term “selat”, which means straits, and is indicative of Singapore’s geographical location.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the panda cub "surely symbolises the harmonious relationship between our panda couple, and our bilateral ties with China".
Le Le was born to giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia on Aug 14 - their firstborn since they arrived in Singapore in 2012 on loan from Chengdu, China, as sub-adults.
Coming in at an estimated 200g at birth, he weighed 9.62kg on Wednesday.
The cub has been a fan favourite since his adorable pictures made the rounds on social media.
Visitors to River Wonders, formerly known as River Safari, can catch Le Le playing with specially created enrichment toys, learning to walk more confidently or catching up on sleep time.
Mandai Wildlife Group animal care officer Trisha Tay Ting Ni said the nursery was constructed to provide a fun and safe space for Le Le to meet guests for part of his day before returning to his mother’s side.
“At four-and-a-half months, he continues to be heavily reliant on mom’s milk and tender loving care. Both Le Le and Jia Jia are also still getting used to spending more time away from each other, so we adapt their daily routines based on close observation to ensure their well-being remains the top priority and that they do not display any stressful behaviours,” she said.
Earlier this year, names for the cub were submitted by members of the public, and reviewed by a judging panel made up of academics and representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Singapore, relevant government agencies and Mandai Wildlife Group.
More than 64,000 votes were cast for a shortlisted five names between Nov 3 and 7, and more than 31,000 of them were in favour of Le Le.
The other names that had been in the running were Hong Hong, Xin Le, Xin Yang and Xin Yuan.
Fourteen-year-old Kai Kai and 13-year-old Jia Jia had displayed signs of being in heat in April, but natural mating was unsuccessful.
Artificial insemination with Kai Kai's frozen sperm was done before the end of Jia Jia's receptive period, to make the most of the once-a-year breeding season.
When Le Le turns two, he will have to return to China under the terms of the original panda loan agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association.
The successful birth comes after the giant pandas' seventh breeding season. They began mating in 2015.
Related
Giant pandas arrive safely in Singapore -Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Giant pandas arriving Singapore September 6 -Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Presenting Sponsor and Conservation Donor CapitaLand welcomes giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia
Giant pandas make public debut on 28 November 2012
Giant pandas arrive safely in Singapore -Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Giant pandas arriving Singapore September 6 -Wildlife Reserves Singapore
Presenting Sponsor and Conservation Donor CapitaLand welcomes giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia
Giant pandas make public debut on 28 November 2012
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