Malaysia-born panda cub flies back to China

Nuan Nuan, the first Malaysian-born female giant panda cub, took a flight on Tuesday at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to head back to southwest China's Sichuan Province, wrapping up her more than two years' stay in a foreign country.

Giant panda Nuan Nuan prepares to take a flight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Malaysia on November 14, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Born on Aug. 18, 2015 to two loaned Chinese pandas, Nuan Nuan, meaning warmth, forged a close bond with the Malaysian people and the keepers, according to Mat Naim, director of the Giant Panda Conservation Center of the national zoo.

Giant panda Nuan Nuan prepares to take a flight at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Malaysia on November 14, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Mat Naim said he felt both sad and happy for Nuan Nuan, which he had been taking care of for quite some time. "Nuan Nuan is a very good cub for us. She didn't show any problems in the last two years."

Another zoo keeper accompanied Mat Naim on the flight from Malaysia to China where he will stay for several more days to monitor the panda's status.

The cage containing giant panda Nuan Nuan is transferred at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Malaysia on November 14, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

The A330-200 freighter, which also carries some bamboo food for the giant panda, will take about four hours and 20 minutes to land in Chengdu. During the flight, Nuan Nuan will stay in a special crate, for which it has undergone some training sessions.

The cage containing giant panda Nuan Nuan is transferred at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, in Malaysia on November 14, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]

Ahmad Luqman, CEO of MasKargo, the airline carrying out the transportation, said they had made sure that conditions and temperatures in the cargo were comfortable for the giant panda.

Nuan Nuan's parents, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, will continue their stay in Malaysia.