Baby Panda in Malaysia: New records for successful natural births in captivity
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A panda couple's second cub in Malaysia's national zoo has been introduced to the public. The couple 'Xingxing' and 'Liangliang' were leased to Malaysia by China in 2014. Rian Maelzer was at the zoo for the baby panda's debut.
RIAN MAELZER KUALA LUMPUR "Malaysia's custom-built, air-conditioned giant panda conservation center has proved a huge success since the adult panda pair arrived four years ago."
Not only has it drawn eager crowds to the national zoo, it has proved a fertile breeding ground for this beloved but endangered bear. Saturday morning, the media and the public got their first view of the second baby born to this panda pair although only in the incubator room for now. At just over four months, she already weighs 60 times what she did at birth. The cub was conceived almost as soon as her sibling, Nuan Nuan, was separated from their mother in preparation for being sent to China. Nuan Nuan was born in world record time just over a year after her parents' arrival, and to have two cubs born in captivity in four years is unprecedented.
DR. MAT NAIM RAMLI DIRECTOR OF ZOOLOGY, MALAYSIA NATIONAL ZOO "The father and mother are in very good condition, so we monitored the female's reproductive physiology for breeding season. We managed to observe peak oestrus in October and we mixed them, and successful mating."
BAI TIAN CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO MALAYSIA "I'm very happy to see just now the newborn baby and she's very healthy and very comfortable. I have to thank Zoo Negara of Malaysia for their wonderful job. And we're going to wait for an opportune time to give this newborn baby a new name."
A public competition will be held to select a name. Under the agreement with China, the cub will head to its ancestral home around age 2. But for the next 20 months at least, Malaysians will get to enjoy watching the antics and growth of this new cub. RM CGTN KL.