KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — The government plans to extend the stay of two veterinary experts from China who are here to care for the two giant pandas that arrived earlier this week.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said the ministry was in talks with China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) to ensure the experts would remain throughout the 10-year stay of the pandas.

“We need to make sure the pandas are well taken care of, and as an extension of phase one, we are working to extend the stay of the experts from the initial two months,” she said.

“The pandas have a bond with the experts and we plan to further commit ourselves towards the conservation of pandas with the help of CWCA.”

Palanivel also said the pandas — Feng Yi and Fu Wa — were doing well in quarantine and would be available for public viewing once the one month quarantine period was up.

“They are eating bamboos and are getting enough sleep, so there is nothing to worry.”

Palanivel was met at the launch of the Malaysian Herbal Exhibition 2014 (PHM 2014) in Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

He said the exhibition was held to educate and strengthen the public's understanding on traditional medicine and herbs.

Palanivel said local herbs and herbal products had big potential as it was one of the Entry Point Projects in the agriculture sector of the National Key Economic Areas.

He said more seminars on local herbal medicine would be conducted to educate the public.

“We have such a big heritage of traditional knowledge and it’s time for us to put it in the forefront.”

Palanivel also said the exhibition served as a stepping stone towards an international exhibition, aimed at sharing the knowledge with other countries.

The three-day exhibition ends tomorrow.