Call it a woman’s instincts but I think giant panda Jia Jia knew
today was no ordinary day.
The shy female panda, which is rarely seen outside her den, was out
and having fun as media and guests gathered at the River Safari on
Friday morning to celebrate her and Kai Kai’s birthdays as well as
their first anniversary in Singapore.
Jia Jia, which turned five on September 3, was gifted with a chime
toy made of bamboo. Although she appeared clueless about the gift
for the longest time, she eventually started eating the bamboo toy
made specially for her by a team of party planners.
Her male counterpart Kai Kai, however, soaked in the festivities at
the panda party.
Excited, Kai Kai, which turns six on September 14, started chomping
on his bamboo feast, a three-tiered birthday cake made of ice and
bamboo, soon after laying eyes on it.
And if you are wondering if there is an additional surprise to the
celebration - a baby panda to be exact - you might be
disappointed.
Assistant director of Zoology at River Safari, Mr Ang Cheng Chye,
said the pandas are not ready yet.
“There is no sign of pregnancy yet. This is controlled by their
hormones. We can’t hasten it,” he said.
The birthday bash on Friday marks the start of week-long
festivities at River Safari to commemorate the pandas’
one-anniversary in Singapore.
Read on for more photos from Kai Kai and Jia Jia’s party as well as
some fun facts about them!
Where are Kai Kai and Jia Jia from?
Kai Kai and Jia Jia are from Chengdu where they travelled over
2,000 miles a year ago to their new home in Singapore. Their
custom-built home at the Giant Panda Forest in River Safari is
modelled after their natural habitat in Chengdu.
What do they eat?
Four types of bamboo - Buddha’s Belly, Ougon-kou Chiku bamboo or
sulphur, hedge bamboo and Siamese bamboo - have been planted to
feed Kai Kai and Jia Jia.
Apart from bamboo, the pandas’ diet comprises of vegetables, fruit
and specialised folivore biscuits.
Why is the Giant Panda Forest air conditioned?
To simulate their natural habitat in Sichuan, China, the
temperature in the climate-controlled dome is maintained at 18
degrees.
There are two specially-constructed alfresco gardens for the pandas
to enjoy fresh air when they want to.
How big is their “house”?
Kai Kai and Jia Jia’s S$8.6 million custom-built home is 1,500
square-metres or the size of 20 three-room HDB flats. It is the
largest, and possibly the most expensive, panda exhibit ever built
in Southeast Asia.
How much food does a panda eat a day?
An adult panda requires about 20kg of fresh bamboo a day, though
the in-house kitchen is equipped to prepare up to 45kg of food per
day for the pandas.
If Jia Jia does conceive, what will happen to the baby
pandas?
If Singapore manages to successfully breed the giant pandas, the
cubs will be sent back to China when they are two years old as part
of the original agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation
Association.
