Having crossed his second birthday and growing more independent, Le Le, the first giant panda cub of Singapore, is set to return to China to fulfil the important mission of contributing to the conservation of the species.
A farewell event will be held for the beloved giant panda cub on his final day in the Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest exhibit at River Wonders on November 20, 2023, before Le Le proceeds to a mandatory quarantine on the same day. He will leave for China in the second half of December. More updates will be shared in the coming months.
Giant panda parents Kai Kai and Jia Jia will remain in Singapore at River Wonders under the care of the Mandai Wildlife Group, which will continue to work closely with its Chinese counterparts to ensure the continued well-being of both pandas, and focus on planning for their future breeding cycles.
Le Le had earlier shown increasing signs of independence such as eating, resting and playing on his own, away from mum Jia Jia, who had also started to show slight avoidance behaviours such as moving away when he approached.
In the wild, behavioural changes in mother pandas lead to the eventual rejection of their cubs. All of this is part and parcel of the life stage progression of giant pandas, which are solitary by nature.
To prepare Le Le and Jia Jia for their imminent separation, the Animal Care team has been conditioning Le Le since February 2023 to enter a new private den, away from mum’s, as well as carrying out the feedings in different dens since August.
Timesharing of their exhibit will soon kick in – the public will be able to see Le Le from 10am to 2pm and Jia Jia from 2pm to 6pm.
Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO, Life Sciences & Operations and Chief Life Sciences Officer, Mandai Wildlife Group, said, “Since his birth in 2021, Le Le has captured not only our hearts, but also that of the entire nation and overseas visitors, giving us many joyful moments as we watched him grow. We celebrate that he will soon be checking off his biggest milestone yet when he goes to China.
“We are honoured to be part of China’s global network in the conservation of giant pandas, helping to maintain a sustainable giant panda population under human care.
“Since the arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia to River Wonders, the Mandai Wildlife Group and the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) have also engaged in numerous study trips and reciprocal visits, facilitating the exchange of valuable knowledge and the publication of research papers that contribute to the conservation efforts of giant pandas by China.”
Leading up to Le Le’s departure at the end of the year, the Mandai Wildlife Group and the Chinese experts will work on a host of preparations behind the scenes to ensure that Le Le is in optimal condition for his journey. These include vaccinations, health assessments and conditioning.
From October 6 to 31, there will be a 40 per cent discount off the 1 Adult and 1 Child admission bundle to River Wonders.
Guests can revisit Le Le’s adorable moments through a series of photo points and drop off farewell fan mail. Guests may stand a chance to receive an exclusive Le Le sticker sheet if they are spotted in panda-inspired outfits. Le Le will also be ‘visiting’ various locations around Singapore – look out for Le Le mascot meet-and-greet outings.