China's panda couple to arrive in Singapore in Sept.

Long-waited panda couple from China, Kai Kai and Jia Jia are scheduled to arrive in Singapore on Sept. 6, Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), the operator and parent company of the country's Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, Singapore Zoo and the upcoming River Safari, released on Wednesday.

The pandas are on a 10-year loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) to Singapore, as a part of both countries' efforts in raising public awareness on wildlife conservation and developing a breeding programme for endangered animals. They also represent the close diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The giant pandas will not be able to be visited by the public until December, for there will be a month-long quarantine process for their health and then a period of time for them to explore and familiarise themselves with their new surroundings.

The two pandas from Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Base will be housed at the Yangtze River zone of the upcoming River Safari, along with other endangered wildlife from China such as the giant salamander and the red panda.

"After many months of careful planning and preparation, we are happy to welcome the giant pandas to Singapore and to their new home at River Safari. The arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia marks the start of an exciting panda research and development opportunity and we look forward to working closely with the Chinese experts to enhance overall understanding on giant panda conservation," said Claire Chiang, Chairman of the WRS.

According to Singapore's local media Straits Times, the two pandas were supposed to have arrived in March. However, a CWCA team visited Singapore in February and asked for changes to their enclosure. In May, the modifications were completed, then the CWCA experts visited again in June and found everything in order.

If Kai Kai and Jia Jia finally arrive in the city-state next month, Singapore will be the ninth country to receive giant pandas from China since 1994.