Liang Liang and her baby inseparable

File pix of Liang Liang eating bamboo at the Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Zoo Negara. (Inset) A handout picture released by Zoo Negara to EPA showing Liang Liang’s cub.

KUALA LUMPUR: The panda cub born at Zoo Negara has grown more active eight days after its birth and is now having a great time playing with its mother Liang Liang. 

Zoo Negara deputy president Rosly@Rahmat Ahmat Lana said the veterinary team was happy with this positive development as it showed that the cub was healthy. 

"Although it does not climb on Liang Liang's body much, the cub, still pinkish in colour, is moving actively. 

"Liang Liang is also letting her cub play on her body, and both do not want to be separated," he told Bernama when met at the national zoo on Tuesday. 

Rosly said since she gave birth to the cub, Liang Liang has been sensitive to her baby's movements, and would emit sounds as though she was worried whenever there was a “separation”. 

"When the veterinary team separated Liang Liang and her baby to conduct health checks and to clean the quarantine cage, both of them emitted noises. 

"The separation was for a very short period of time, and after the health checks were completed, Liang Liang picked up her baby in her mouth, placed it on her lap and hugged it," Rosly said. 

He added that the positive development of the panda cub was due to Liang Liang's improved appetite.

"As of today, Liang Liang consumes as much as three kilogrammes of bamboo shoots under one foot in length, as well as carrots, saline water and glucose. 

"There is no problem getting the bamboo shoots as supply of shoots that size is easily available and we are happy that we managed to improve Liang Liang's appetite," he said. 

The consistent eating pattern meant that Liang Liang did not have any problems in providing sufficient breast milk for her baby. 

He said, however, the veterinary team was monitoring Liang Liang's condition for fear that excess milk would cause her nipples to become blocked. 

"We do not want the milk lumps to cause her to change her behaviour towards her cub," he said. 

Liang Liang gave birth to her cub at 1.45pm on Aug 18 at the National Zoo's Giant Panda Conservation Centre. 

China presented Malaysia a pair of giant pandas known as Fu Wa and Feng Yi, which arrived here on May 21, 2014, in marking 40 years of diplomatic ties between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing. 

On June 25 this year, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced their new names as Xing Xing (prosperity) for the male panda and Liang Liang (beautiful) for the female panda which would remain for the time they are in this country. 

The birth of the cub from the pair in captivity is being regaled because it is a rare occurrence.