Since the very first panda cub born in Singapore came into the world on 14 Aug, he’s remained unnamed, with the public asked to vote on a name.
While Singaporeans eagerly followed every update on him, many might also have wondered when they could see him in person.
Our burning questions have finally been answered, with the boy’s name officially revealed as “Le Le” (叻叻).
Better yet, the public will be able to feast their eyes on him from Thursday (30 Dec).
Le Le’s name is indicative of his birth city, Mandai Wildlife Group said in a media release sent to MS News.
The character “Le” (叻) comes from the ancient Chinese name for Singapore, “Shi Le Po” (石叻坡), they added.
“Shi Le Po” is also a transliteration of the Malay term “selat“, meaning “straits” – a nod to the island’s location between the Straits of Johor and Singapore.
The name’s reflection of Singapore was highlighted by Mandai Wildlife Group Deputy CEO Cheng Wen-Haur, who added,
Borne out of the close cultural ties between Singapore and China, he is an emblem of great animal care and close collaboration with our Chinese conservation partners.
It also scored well among the community, getting more than 31,000 votes out of the over 64,000 sent in.
Fittingly for a panda that symbolises Singapore-China ties, Le Le’s name was revealed at the 17th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) on Wednesday (29 Dec).
It was jointly unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and China’s Vice-Premier Han Zheng.
Hopefully, this means there’s a greater chance that the stay of his parents, Kai Kai and Jia Jia, in Singapore will be extended.
Singaporeans who can’t wait to see Le Le will finally get their dream fulfilled from Thursday (30 Dec) – his 139th day of life.
He’ll be receiving visitors in his new glass-fronted nursery at the Giant Panda Forest in River Wonders (previously known as the River Safari).
As can be seen from the photo, Le Le’s new pad has soothing green walls with illustrations of bamboo – every panda’s favourite food.
He also has toys encased with astroturf, which he was introduced to in Oct so he could get used to its texture.
The nursery was designed as a safe and fun space for Le Le to meet his guests, said Mandai Wildlife Group animal care officer Trisha Tay Ting Ni, adding,
At 4.5 months, he continues to be heavily reliant on mom’s milk and tender loving care. Both Le Le and Jia Jia are also still getting used to spending more time away from each other, so we adapt their daily routines based on close observation to ensure their wellbeing remains the top priority and that they do not display any stressful behaviours.
So do be punctual, as there’ll be just 2 viewing times per day for now, at 10.30am and 3.30pm.
The times reflect the current routines of both Le Le and his mother Jia Jia.
They coincide with Jia Jia’s feeding and exercise sessions, when she is comfortable to leave her son on his own.
Each “viewing window” will last from 20-30 minutes, and may vary depending how comfortable both mummy panda and cub are.
These timings will be reviewed and adjusted over the next few weeks.
If visitors are lucky, they’ll catch Le Le playing with his custom-made toys, learning to walk and catching up on sleep like his father.
The last time Mandai Wildlife Group gave an update on Le Le’s growth was when he was 100 days old.
At the time, he weighed 6.36kg – healthy progress for a panda.
However, he’s grown even more since then, and now weighs more than 9kg – 9.62kg to be exact.
He’s also starting to nibble on bamboo shoots and leaves, they added.
With the cub’s gaining more independence every day and his name revealed, it’s time for him to make his debut on the world stage and show off his cuteness.
Hopefully, Le Le continues to grow well and responds well to visitors.
We can’t wait to see him at River Wonders very soon.
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Featured images courtesy of Mandai Wildlife Group.
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