Giant panda cub Le Le has safely arrived in Chengdu, China, after a four-hour flight from Singapore, according to a joint statement from Mandai Wildlife Group and Singapore Airlines (SIA).
The Singapore-born cub has now begun 30 days of mandatory quarantine in Huaying, Guang’an City, Sichuan Province.
During this period, he will be monitored by the China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda, before entering their conservation program.
The journey
Le Le departed Singapore on Jan. 16 at 7:17pm Singapore time on a Singapore Airlines Boeing 747-400F freighter aircraft, landing in Chengdu at 11:14pm, according to Flightradar24.
The panda cub, or "VIP —Very Important Panda" as he was dubbed by SIA, travelled well, accompanied by his keeper and veterinarian from Mandai Wildlife Group, as well as a keeper from China.
He also took well to the flight, and "maintained a good appetite throughout", spending the time chomping on bamboo, bamboo shoots, fruit, and pellets.
Photo from Mandai Wildlife Group
His journey was made in a custom-built crate which was kept at a chilly 12°C to 16°C and loaded through the nose of a SIA cargo plane.
Taking two weeks to build, the 1.7m-long, 1.1m-wide and 1.3m-high crate met guidelines set out by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Chinese experts were consulted during its construction.
Le Le in his custom-built crate. Photo from Mandai Wildlife Group
The cub was "well-acquainted" with his travel crate, having been first introduced to it in November 2023.
Mandai staff spent months container training Le Le, using positive reinforcement training, to prepare him for the journey.
Farewell
Le Le's departure day was filled with "emotional moments" and "heartfelt goodbyes" from his panda care team, according to the press release.
This love letter from Le Le's care team was attached to the crate he travelled in. Photo from Mandai Wildlife Group
Those who bade farewell to Le Le on the tarmac included Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan, Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Singapore Zhu Jing, as well as the management teams of both Mandai Wildlife Group and SIA.
Singapore's sweetheart
Le Le was born to his parents, Jia Jia and Kai Kai on Aug. 14, 2021. He was the first giant panda cub to be born in Singapore.
Photo from Mandai Wildlife Group.
Giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed.
Singaporeans and tourists quickly fell in love with him and his playful nature. And being super cute definitely helped.
In the lead up to Le Le's departure, guests flocked to River Wonders to say goodbye.
As part of an agreement with China, foreign-born cubs need to be relocated at around two years old to improve conservation efforts.
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Top photo from Mandai Wildlife Group