There is a new, tiny addition to the River Safari – Singapore welcomes its first giant panda cub on August 14, born to parents Jia Jia and Kai Kai.
The cub’s gender has yet to be determined, according to the Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), and the mother-child pair has been shifted to an off-exhibit den to provide them time to nurse and bond.
Weighing at 200g, the small bundle of joy is the result of years of hard work put in by the animal care team. This is Jia Jia and Kai Kai’s seventh breeding season (getting pandas to mate is known to be extremely difficult).
Back in April, WRS worked closely with the China Conversation and Research Centre for Giant Panda (CCRCGP) on a breeding plan for the couple. To make the most of the once-a-year breeding season, CCRCGP advised the veterinarian team at WRS to perform an artificial insemination procedure.
“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. This is the result of good animal care, assisted reproductive science, and sheer perseverance on the part of our staff coupled with valuable advice from the China panda experts,” shares Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, deputy CEO of WRS.
“The work continues now with supporting the first-time mother to raise her newborn cub.”
Catch a peep of the newborn cub below: