Le Le’s last day in the Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest exhibit will be on November 20, 2023 before he goes into quarantine later that day.

 

Having crossed his second birthday and growing more independent, Le Le is set to return to China to fulfil the mission of contributing to the conservation of the Giant Panda species. A farewell event will be held for the beloved bear on his final day in the Pavilion Capital Giant Panda Forest exhibit at River Wonders on November 20, 2023, before he proceeds to a mandatory quarantine on the same day. He will leave for China in the second half of December. More updates will be shared in the coming months.

Kai Kai and Jia Jia will remain in Singapore at River Wonders under the care of Mandai Wildlife Group, which will continue to work closely with its Chinese counterparts to ensure the continued well-being of both pandas, and focus on planning for their future breeding cycles.

Le Le had earlier shown increasing signs of independence such as eating, resting and playing on his own, away from mum Jia Jia who had also started to show slight avoidance behaviours such as moving away when he approaches. In the wild, behavioural changes in mother pandas lead to the eventual rejection of their cubs. All of this is part and parcel of the life stage progression of Giant Pandas which are solitary by nature.

To prepare Le Le and Jia Jia for their imminent separation, the Animal Care team has been conditioning Le Le since February 2023 to enter a new private den away from mum’s, as well as carrying out the feedings in different dens since August. Timesharing of their exhibit will soon kick in – the public will be able to see Le Le from 10am to 2pm and Jia Jia from 2pm to 6pm.

Leading up to Le Le’s departure at the end of the year, Mandai Wildlife Group and the Chinese experts will work on a host of preparations behind the scenes to ensure that Le Le is in optimal condition for his journey to China. These include vaccinations, health assessments and conditioning.

From October 6 to 31, there will be a 40-percent discount off the one adult and one child admission bundle to River Wonders (there is no exclusive senior discount for admission tickets to River Wonders). Guests can revisit Le Le’s adorable moments through a series of photo points and drop off farewell fan mail. Guests may stand a chance to receive an exclusive Le Le sticker sheet if they are spotted in panda-inspired outfits. Le Le will also be ‘visiting’ various locations around Singapore – look out for Le Le mascot meet-and-greet outings.

** Regular admission tickets are as follows: For local citizens who are above 60 years old, tickets are S$20. The adult admission tickets cost S$37.80 for local residents and S$42 for non-residents.

(** PHOTO CREDIT: Mandai Wildlife Group)