Pandas return to Sichuan after their 11-year stint in Malaysia

After spending 11 years in Malaysia, giant panda pair Fu Wa and Feng Yi were returned to the Ya'an base of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province on Sunday evening, the center said.

Known as Xing Xing and Liang Liang in Malaysia, the pandas were accompanied on the journey by Malaysian keepers and an experienced veterinarian from the panda center. The veterinarian had traveled to Malaysia in advance to conduct routine health checks and assessments with local veterinary experts.

The pandas will undergo quarantine at the center's Ya'an base for at least one month.

Known as Fu Wa and Feng Yi in China, they were both born on Aug 23, 2006, at the panda center. They were sent to Zoo Negara Malaysia in 2014 as part of a 10-year giant panda international cooperation program that coincided with the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia.

Under an agreement signed between China and Malaysia last year, the cooperation period, which had been set to end on May 20,2024, was extended by one year.

As the first pair of giant pandas to live in Malaysia, Fu Wa and Feng Yi became well-known animal celebrities and helped foster people-to-people exchanges between the two countries, the center said.

Over the years, the center and Zoo Negara Malaysia engaged in in-depth cooperation on giant panda conservation and breeding, disease prevention and control, public education and employee exchanges.

During their time in Malaysia, the panda pair gave birth to three cubs — Nuan Nuan, Yi Yi and Sheng Yi. By August 2023, all three cubs had been sent to China and are currently in good health, according to the center.

In preparation for the return of Fu Wa and Feng Yi, the Ya'an base made comprehensive arrangements, including organizing quarantine facilities, deploying workers, stocking food and setting up a health monitoring system, to ensure a smooth transition and quick adaptation to their new environment.

The center said Fu Wa and Feng Yi will meet the public at an appropriate time. Until then, updates on their daily lives will be shared through the center's official platforms.

China and Malaysia are expected to launch a new round of giant panda conservation cooperation within this year, according to the center.

From the 1990s through the end of last year, China conducted panda conservation cooperation programs with 26 institutions in 20 countries, according to the National Forestry and Grassland Administration.

Most pandas returning from overseas reside either at the Ya'an base or the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

pengchao@chinadaily.com.cn