If you had yet to visit Nuan Nuan the Panda at the Zoo Negara, we suggest that you do it soon.
That’s because Zoo Negara has no plans to extend the panda’s stay in the country after next year, according to a report by The Star Online.
The zoo’s president Datuk Seri Zaharin Md Arif told the news portal that extending her stay beyond the two-year deal with China will be too costly.
“In the agreement between Malaysia and China, we have to make a ‘one-off’ payment of US$600,000 (RM2.4mil), not including the annual insurance premium of RM200,000,” Zaharin told The Star.
But, there’s a very slight chance that Nuan Nuan will get to stay in Malaysia.
“We will discuss with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry and China Wildlife Conservation Association on extending Nuan Nuan’s stay in November,” he was quoted by the daily as saying.
Malaysian Zoological Society’s Giant Panda Conservation Centre director Dr Mat Naim Ramli told The Star that besides the insurance premium, the zoo also has to take into account the maintanence and accomodation cost for Nuan Nuan and her parents, Xing Xing and Liang Liang.
“This is because mother and baby pandas are allowed to live together when the baby is below two years. After that, the baby is separated from the mother to live independently.
“And the contract can only be extended for another two years,” he was quoted by the news portal as saying.
