KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — Malaysians will soon bid farewell to Giant Pandas Fu Wa and Feng Yi, residents since May 2014, as they are set to return to China in May 2025.
The pandas entered quarantine yesterday, significantly limiting public viewing opportunities at Zoo Negara’s Giant Panda Conservation Centre.
Visitors hoping for a final glimpse will no longer see the pandas up close but may catch sight of them from the PKGP Learning Centre occasionally.
Zoo Negara is organising several farewell activities to allow the public to celebrate Fu Wa and Feng Yi’s time in Malaysia.
“Malaysians are encouraged to take the opportunity to visit Zoo Negara to show your appreciation for Fu Wa and Feng Yi and to enliven the programmes organised by Zoo Negara,” the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability said in a statement today.
These events include a Farewell Message Board, sessions with keepers, documentary screenings, and competitions, with details on Zoo Negara’s platforms.
The departure facilitates a new agreement allowing Malaysia to host a different panda pair for the next decade.
This transition marks the end of an era for Fu Wa and Feng Yi, who previously saw their three cubs repatriated in 2017 and 2023.
China strategically employs its iconic giant pandas as instruments of “panda diplomacy,” loaning the beloved animals to select countries worldwide as potent symbols of friendship and goodwill, aiming to bolster bilateral relationships, enhance its international image, and foster cultural understanding through shared conservation efforts.
