Giant Pandas Jia Jia and Kai Kai’s stay in Singapore extended to 2027

River Wonders’ beloved Giant Panda pair Kai Kai and Jia Jia will remain in Singapore for another five years. 

On Friday (Sep 2), the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) and Mandai Wildlife Group signed the Extension Agreement on Cooperation in Panda Conservation and Research.  This allows the pandas to continue as ambassadors for their species at Singapore’s River Wonders until 2027.

Kai Kai, 15, and Jia Jia, 14, first came to Singapore in 2012 under a 10-year agreement. They successfully produced the nation’s first panda cub named Le Le on Aug 14, 2021, after seven breeding cycles.

As the birth rate of pandas is higher when natural mating is done, the panda care team will continue to provide Kai Kai and Jia Jia with more opportunities to practise natural mating, with guidance from Chinese experts. They will also conduct further research on pandas under human care.

During the signing ceremony, Secretary General of CWCA Wu Minglu noted the excellent results from the past 10 years of collaboration in panda conservation and research, including the birth of a panda cub and the publication of more than 30 research papers. 

Minglu said: “All these have strengthened the understanding and friendship between both countries, and we hope to achieve even greater results in our next five years of partnership.”

Singapore is the 10th country to collaborate with China on Giant Panda conservation and research since 1994.

To date, Kai Kai, Jia Jia and Le Le have had over 7.6 million visitors from around the world. They have helped raise awareness of conservation efforts for Giant Pandas, and the species had its conservation status moved from endangered to vulnerable during this time.