Zoo Negara to welcome new giant pandas next week

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will receive a new pair of giant pandas in the third week of November, says Deputy Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii.

He said the panda loan project between Malaysia and China will continue under a new 10-year agreement signed on April 16 this year during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Malaysia.

“This renewed agreement allows Malaysia to receive a younger pair of giant pandas for the period between 2025 and 2035,” Huang told the Dewan Rakyat when winding up his ministry’s Budget 2026 debate at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

He said the collaboration reflects the strong bilateral ties and shared conservation goals between Malaysia and China.

The first pair of giant pandas, Fu Wa (also known as Xing Xing) and Feng Yi (Liang Liang), were loaned to Malaysia in 2014 and became star attractions at Zoo Negara.

Beary cute: Visitors admiring Fu Wa during Yi Yi and Sheng Yi’s send-off at the Giant Panda Convention Centre in Zoo Negara, Kuala Lumpur, in this file photo.

They were repatriated to China on May 18, this year, after completing their 11-year stay.

Huang said both governments are pleased that the pandas have been warmly received by Malaysians and have become a symbol of China-Malaysia friendship.

The new pair is anticipated to arrive at Zoo Negara next week and will further the collaborative research on panda protection and breeding as a continuation of the conservation partnership.