Bon Voyage, Le Le: Our First Panda Cub Is Moving To China In December 2023

Can you believe that our baby panda is no longer a baby? River Wonders' Giant Panda Cub Le Le, who turned 2 in August, is all grown up, meaning that that he'll be headed for China in the second half of December 2023. 

Yeah, we know - goodbyes are hard, especially since Le Le has been such an icon since his long-awaited birth to parents Kai Kai and Jia Jia,  who will remain in Singapore. But now that Le Le's able to eat, rest, and play on his own, he's ready to contribute to the conversation of the Giant Panda species in his homeland. 

Mandai Wildlife Group has also pointed out that his mum, Jia Jia, has started displaying mild avoidance behaviours, such as scooting away, when he approaches - basically the equivalent of our own parents asking us to move out - and that this behaviour is healthy and normal for Giant Pandas, who are solitary by nature.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

Preparing Le Le for the big move

Since February 2023, River Wonders' Animal Care team has been easing Le Le away from Jia Jia by ushering him into a new private den and by carrying out separate feedings. 

This will soon be reflected in the public's visiting hours, which will take place between 10am-2pm for Le Le and 2pm-6pm for Jia Jia. 

Want to say goodbye? Come 6 to 31 October 2023, River Wonders will be holding a month-long farewell party for Le Le. Guests can partake in an array of activities celebrating his most iconic moments, and can enjoy a 40% discount off admission tickets with the Panda-rific 2-to-go Bundle. 

Le Le's biggest sendoff will take place at River Wonders on 20 November 2023, after while he'll enter into a mandatory quarantine ahead of his move. 

We don't know about you, but we're feeling a little nostalgic. Here's a look back at the milestones this adorable cutie has achieved so far. All the best on your next adventure, Le Le!

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

14 August 2021: Giant panda Jia Jia gives birth at 7.50 am to a tiny, pink and hairless panda baby weighing a mere 200g. This panda baby was conceived via artificial insemination after natural mating proved unsuccessful.

10 September 2021: Daddy Kai Kai has an early birthday celebration for his 14th birthday (actual date: 14 September), which doubled as a gender reveal party for his new offspring. Kai Kai climbs a tree and opens a special gift to release blue confetti, revealing that the panda baby is a boy.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

15 September 2021: The 33-day old panda baby has grown to a healthy weight of 1.504kg.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

22 September 2021: Nearly a month and a half after his birth, the panda cub opens his eyes for the first time, ready to see the world around him.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

21 November 2021: At 100 days old, the panda cub now weighs 6.36kg (more than 30 times his birth weight!), measures 67cm long, and has a mouthful of baby teeth. He's also able to crawl-walk, with his first steps having been documented by keepers on Day 89 (10 November 2021).

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

29 December 2021: The panda cub's official name, Le Le (叻叻), is jointly unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic Policies Heng Swee Keat, and Vice Premier of the People's Republic of China Han Zheng.

The winning name was voted for by the public out of a shortlist of five names: Hong Hong (宏宏), Xin Le (新乐), Xin Yang (新阳), Xin Yuan (新缘), and, of course, Le Le.

Amassing more than 31,000 of the over 64,000 votes sent in by the public, the name Le Le comes from "Shi Le Po" (石叻坡), the ancient Chinese name for Singapore. it was a transliteration of the Malay word "selat", which means "straits", referring to our geographical location.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

27 January 2022: To hone his motor skills, Le Le now has a "jungle gym" in his den, made with strategically-placed logs to help him build his strength and train him to climb. In addition, his keepers have been introducing him to new textures and shapes through various enrichment toys.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

10 March 2022: Welcome to the world! Le Le officially debuts in the main exhibit, which has been "baby-proofed" for his safety. For instance, the exhibit's water area has been drained and padded with leaves and pine bark chips.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

14 August 2022: Le Le turns one! The 33kg cub celebrated his first birthday on 12 August with a stunning three-tier ice cake embedded with carrots, bamboo and edible flowers, and topped with apple slices.

2022 to 2023: Le Le grows leaps and bounds, while remaining inquisitive with a penchant for food. He particularly enjoys lounging on his back while munching on bamboo, just like his dad Kai Kai.

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

IMAGE: MANDAI WILDLIFE GROUP

14 August 2023: It's Le Le's birthday again! He now weighs a whopping 65kg and has begun showing signs of independence, such as eating, resting and playing away on his own away from mama Jia Jia.

At his second birthday celebration today, Le Le enjoyed an enormous bamboo cake, as well as a buffet of special treats like sugarcane, sweet potatoes, grapes and peaches, placed on banana leaves and ice blocks.

He also got to unbox his presents, which were filled with yummy bamboo shoots. To top off the celebrations, there was a confetti of straw, hay and wood shavings for him to play with.

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