Through An Online Poll, The First Giant Panda Cub Born In Singapore Is Named Le Le

Giant panda cub Le Le with mother Jia Jia Instagram @mandaiwildlifereserve

JAKARTA - After going through the general election process, the first giant panda cub born in Singapore was given the name Le Le, according to the most votes received.

Born to a giant panda couple named Kai Kai and Jia, this panda cub officially bears the name Le Le after the election results were announced on Wednesday 29 December. The child was born on the morning of August 14, nine years after first-time parents Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrived in Singapore.

The winner's name, Le Le (叻叻), garnered over 31,000 votes. In all, more than 64,000 votes were collected in an online poll held from 3 November to 7 November to decide on the name of the first giant panda born in Singapore.

The word 'le' comes from 'Shi Le Po', which is the ancient Chinese name for Singapore and was used since the country started 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 Strait, indicating Singapore's geographic location, he added.

Other names selected for the ballot were Hong Hong (宏宏), Xin Le (新乐), Xin Yang (新) and Xin Yuan (新 ).

Visitors to Sungai Wonders will be able to visit Le Le in a new front-fronted nursery room in the Giant Panda forest from Thursday, says Mandai Wildlife Group.

Giant panda cub Le Le with mother Jia Jia. (Instagram/@mandaiwildlifereserve)

Viewing times are scheduled at around 10.30 am and 3.30 pm local time every day, as this reflects Jia Jia and Le Le's routine.

"This viewing period coincides with Jia Jia's eating and exercise sessions, when she feels comfortable leaving Le Le Le alone," the group said in a press release, citing CNA Dec. 29.

"Each viewing time, which ranges between 20 and 30 minutes, may vary depending on the comfort level of mother and son, and will be reviewed and adjusted over the next few weeks."

"We are very pleased that our panda cub now has a name, and one that proudly indicates his hometown," said Dr. Cheng Wen-Haur, co-CEO of Mandai Wildlife Group.

The name announcement was made by Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and China's Deputy Prime Minister of the State Council, Han Zheng, at a virtual ceremony following a Bilateral Cooperation Council (JCBC) meeting between Singapore and China.

In an opinion piece published in Lianhe Zaobao on Tuesday ahead of the annual JCBC meeting, Heng called the birth of the Cub Panda "an exciting occasion" and a symbol of the friendship between Singapore and China.

To note, giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed. Female pandas only ovulate once a year and their fertility peaks from 24 hours to 36 hours. Prior to the birth of the long-awaited panda cub, there has been an annual effort to encourage Kai Kai and Jia Jia since 2015.

Meanwhile, Kai kai and Jia Jia, who turned 14 and 13 in September this year, are in Singapore on a 10-year loan from China, which expires next year.

Mandai Wildlife Group said it was in talks with the Chinese government to extend Kai Kai and Jia Jia's loan period to stay in Singapore beyond 2022.