Fans in Malaysia gather at Zoo Negara to bid an emotional farewell to two beloved pandas

KUALA LUMPUR - Around 40 panda lovers gathered at Zoo Negara in the early hours of May 18 to bid a heartfelt farewell to Fu Wa (Xing Xing) and Feng Yi (Liang Liang),who are returning to China after spending 11 years in Malaysia.

At about 7.15am, the vehicles carrying Fu Wa and Feng Yi rolled out of Zoo Negara, which is in Selangor. Emotions ran high as fans waved, livestreamed the moment, and captured photos and videos. Many were heard calling out, “Goodbye Fu Wa and Feng Yi!”

Their journey began as part of China’s panda loan programme, a goodwill gesture to countries with strong diplomatic ties.

The pair arrived at Zoo Negara to mark the 40th anniversary of Malaysia-China relations. Once settled in, they received new names: Fu Wa became Xing Xing, meaning prosperity, while Feng Yi was renamed Liang Liang, meaning pretty.

Zoo Negara Deputy President Datuk Rosly @ Rahmat Ahmat Lana said panda caretaker Mohd Saiffullah Md Yusuf would accompany the pandas to China and stay for a few days to help them settle in.

“The pandas are in good health. We’ve always supported the panda conservation programme. I truly appreciate the fans who came. Even though it’s not an official farewell, their presence shows how much they care,” he said.

One of the fans, Ms Chin Lee Peng, 56, arrived at Zoo Negara at 5am with seven friends. After seeing the pandas off, she planned to head to a location near the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to catch a glimpse of their plane taking off.

Ever since she heard the pandas would be leaving and undergoing a one-month quarantine, she had been visiting the zoo every weekend to say her final goodbyes.

“My emotions have calmed down a bit now, but of course I