For more than seven months she was simply called "baby." But on Thursday, the first giant panda cub born in Malaysia finally got a proper name after a nationwide vote and some high-level deliberations.
China loaned Malaysia a pair of giant pandas in May 2014 to mark 40 years of diplomatic relations, with Malaysia housing the Xing Xing and Liang Liang in a deluxe air conditioned enclosure. And just over a year later, to the zoo's and the Malaysian public's joy, Liang Liang became pregnant through natural means.
A nationwide competition launched to find a name for the baby girl panda attracted more than 22,000 entries. The winner received a new car.
The name signifies "warm and friendly," which the minister said reflected relations between China and Malaysia.
"The name was chosen after meticulous process, review by panel of experts, agreed to by China, the prime minister of Malaysia and cabinet to get the baby's name Nuan Nuan," said Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, Minister of Natural Resources.
But above all the zoo is thrilled to have exceeded its conservation goals by overseeing a successful birth so early in the adults pandas' scheduled 10-year stay in Malaysia.
