An eye-opening moment: Kai Kai and Jia Jia’s panda cub opens eyes for the first time

SINGAPORE – The first-ever giant panda cub born in Singapore reached another milestone on Wednesday (Sept 22) as he opened his eyes to see the world for the first time.

At 40 days old, the panda cub continues to grow and now weighs 1,870g, up by 370g from the previous week, Wildlife Reserves Singapore said in a statement on Friday.

The cub is the firstborn of giant pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia, the famous residents of the River Safari, who arrived in Singapore from China in 2012 under a 10-year loan from the Chinese authorities.  

He was born on Aug 14 after seven attempts by his parents to conceive. Kai Kai, 13, and Jia Jia, 12, first mated in 2015.

The cub will be given a name before his 100-day milestone on Nov 21. A judging panel chaired by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Speaker of Parliament and deputy chairman of Mandai Park Holdings, will oversee the process.

Submissions for the name closed on Sept 19 and shortlisted names will be released for public voting.

The name should be catchy and easy to remember, with positive meanings and attributes as well as relevance to Singapore’s heritage and culture. It must also be significant to the friendship between Singapore and China, WRS said.

Details on how members of the public can participate in naming the cub can be found on WRS’ website.