Zoo Negara confirmed the arrival of the newborn on Jan 14 at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre at Zoo Negara.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, said this made Malaysia one of the “most productive” countries (out of 12 countries globally) that has contributed to the giant panda conservation programme.
“The first giant panda cub came to us 15 months after Malaysia hosted the couple.
“It was only in November that we sent off Nuan Nuan. Today, we are welcoming another cub.”
Nuan Nuan was born on Aug 18, 2015.
He thanked the giant panda keepers, experts and the zoo staff for their dedication in caring for the giant pandas.
“Unlike other countries which are unable to interact with the giant pandas without using propping tools, our giant panda keepers are able to pat and care for them with their bare hands,” said Wan Junaidi at a press conference held at Zoo Negara.
He said the gender of the cub could not be identified at the moment as keepers are not able to separate the cub from its mother.
The minister said there were negotiations going on to review the agreement with China to request for ownership of this newborn.
“We want to keep the giant panda cub. But to keep the giant panda, we have to consider both the environmental and financial costs.”
He said Prime Minister Najib Razak and the cabinet had been notified of the newborn giant panda cub.
Wan Junaidi added that the giant pandas have taken a liking to local bamboo varieties and this could be one of the reasons contributing to the fertility of the giant pandas.
He said research would be conducted on the giant pandas’ fertility rate in light of this second cub born within a short span.
Zoology, Veterinary and Giant Panda Conservation Centre director Dr Mat Naim Ramli said it was a challenging process to monitor the female giant panda’s fertility period to determine the most suitable mating time.
“There are a lot of factors we need to take into account. It is very crucial as this period doesn’t last very long (about five minutes).
“We have been monitoring throughout since the last time it gave birth to Nuan Nuan,” said Naim.
He added that something unique to note is that they mated on Deepavali last year (Nov 18) and gave birth on Pongal (Jan 14), both Indian festivals.
The female giant panda and its cub will be quarantined for four months before the public can see them.
Malaysia has spent a total of RM30.2 million on the upkeep of pandas since 2014.
The agreement to obtain the two pandas, loaned to Malaysia in 2014, came under heavy criticism from the public due to the high cost of looking after them. However, scores of people have been visiting the pandas.
The two giant pandas, Fu Wa (Xing Xing) and Feng Yi (Liang Liang), are on loan to Malaysia for 10 years.
Wan Junaidi said Malaysia will give an additional US$600,000 (RM2.5 million) to China for each panda cub born here.
Under the agreement, any panda cub born in Malaysia has to be returned to China upon reaching the age of two.