SINGAPORE (CNA) – The cub born to giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia has been named after the results of a public vote were announced yesterday.
The winning name – Le Le – garnered more than 31,000 votes. Overall, more than 64,000 votes were submitted in the online poll held from November 3-7 to decide the name of the first Singapore-born giant panda.
The word ‘Le’ comes from ‘Shi Le Po’, which is an ancient Chinese name for Singapore and in use since the country’s beginning as a trading port, Mandai Wildlife Group said in a press release.
The term is also a transliteration of the Malay term selat, which means straits, indicative of Singapore’s geographical location, it added.
Other names shortlisted for the vote were Hong Hong, Xin Le, Xin Yang and Xin Yuan.
Guests heading to River Wonders will be able to visit Le Le in its new glass-fronted nursery at the Giant Panda Forest from today, Mandai Wildlife Group added.
“The viewing periods coincide with Jia Jia’s feeding and exercise sessions when she is comfortable to leave little Le Le on his own,” the group said in the press release.
“Each viewing window, which ranges between 20 and 30 minutes, may vary depending on the comfort level of both mother and son, and will be reviewed and adjusted over the next few weeks.”
“We are overjoyed that our panda cub now has a name, and one that is proudly indicative of his birth city,” said Mandai Wildlife Group’s Deputy CEO of Life Sciences and Operations Dr Cheng Wen-Haur.
The announcement was made by Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng at a virtual ceremony after the 17th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting between Singapore and China.
