Panda cub for viewing only in about two months

A giant panda from China has given birth to a cub in Malaysia, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Tuesday.

“Liang Liang began to show extraordinary behaviour, such as losing appetite, being less active and making peculiar sounds, two weeks ago”.

Rosly said it was the staff at the GPCC who saw that Liang Liang was showing labour symptoms when they took it out to the exhibition area at 10 am.

Her cub, Gong Gong, remains in China.

Malaysian Zoological Society Deputy President Rosly Ahmat Lana said the cub is now under complete care of its mother Liang Liang. Liang Liang, meanwhile, will be fed young bamboo shoots, glucose and salt water to regain her strength after giving birth yesterday.

Malaysia is only one in three countries which managed to breed captive pandas naturally through mating as most panda cubs are conceived through artificial insemination.

Liang Liang would be quarantined temporarily during the confinement period while nursing the baby.

Members of the public will be able to view the cub at GPCC in about two months.

The pandas had also caused controversy in Malaysia over a decision to house them in a special US$7.7 million facility at the national zoo.

The two countries agreed in 2012 that China would send a pair of giant pandas for a 10-year stay as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy”.

They arrived on May 21, 2014 to improve bilateral relations between Malaysia and China.