Malaysia’s favourite superstar giant pandas from China have been overdoing the bamboo feast, apparently.
The Malay Mail‘s Vanessa Ee-Lyn Gomes and Ista Kyra Sharmugam report that the pair have been growing a little more cuddly than it should. Quoting Zoo Negara deputy director (hospital and veterinarian services) Dr Mat Naim Ramli, the daily reported that Xing Xing and Liang Liang — formerly known as Feng Yi and Fu Wa — have tipped over their ideal weight.
Panda boy, Xing Xing, weighed 118kg six months ago and is now 138kg while panda girl Liang Liang hit 116kg from her 98kg in July. Ideally, Dr Naim said, male pandas should weight no more than 135kg and for females, below 115kg.
“The pandas were then put on a ‘diet’ where their food intake was controlled to bring their weight down to an optimum level. Xing Xing and Liang Liang currently weigh 132kg and 110kg respectively,” he told the Malay Mail adding that both pandas are now fed panda cakes, apples and bamboos every day.
“The bamboo, buluh betong, is one of their favourites and contributed to their weight gain,” he was quoted as saying.
In June last year, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the giant Chinese pandas —who were given on loan by the Chinese government to mark the 40th year of diplomatic relations with Malaysia — would be given new names to reflect their Malaysian identity.
In November, the Parliament was told that the arrival of Xing Xing and Liang Liang brought almost 218,000 visitors to the national zoo since June.
