Pandas to touch down in less than 24 hours
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With the arrival of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia in two days' time, Singapore Zoo prepares to welcome its new residents on Sept 4, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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With the arrival of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia in two days' time, Singapore Zoo prepares to welcome its new residents on Sept 4, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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Kai Kai and Jia Jia plush toys. To commemorate the arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia, some companies have created panda-inspired memorabilia to welcome the giant animals arriving on Sept 6, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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A preview of panda memorabilia that will eventually be on sale at the Singapore Zoo on Sept 4, 2012. The Panda countdown. As banners go up to toast the arrival of Jia Jia and Kai Kai on Thursday, companies are cranking out panda souvenirs. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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Panda card holders. A preview of panda memorabilia that will eventually be on sale at the Singapore Zoo on Sept 4, 2012. As banners go up to toast the arrival of Jia Jia and Kai Kai on Thursday, companies are cranking out panda souvenirs. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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The panda memorabilia that will eventually go on sale at the Singapore Zoo to celebrate China's giant panda couple Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrival in Singapore. The animals are on loan to Singapore from China for 10 years and will be housed in an enclosure at the new River Safari in Mandai. The safari officially opens in 2013 but visitors will be able to see the pandas from Dec 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
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The curious and playful Kai Kai taking a rest in his enclosure. The 5-year-old male panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. He has been quarantined for a month where he was kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas and the area is out-of-bound to visitors to their panda base in Ya'an Bifeng gorge in the Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Kai Kai, a five-year-old male panda, will be in Singapore along with four-year-old female Jia Jia on Sept 6, 2012. The pandas are on loan to Singapore from China. Before their flight, they were quarantined for a month and kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas at their base in Ya’an Bifeng gorge in Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Kai Kai, a five-year-old male panda, will be in Singapore along with four-year-old female Jia Jia on Sept 6, 2012. The pandas are on loan to Singapore from China. Before their flight, they were quarantined for a month and kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas at their base in Ya’an Bifeng gorge in Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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Jia Jia, twists the stalks of bamboo shoots with her paws pulling out its leaves with her teeth. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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According to her keeper, Mdm Wu Tianhong, Jia Jia has been not her usual self lately. "It's like she knows that she is about to leave this place," said Mdm Wu. She is rarely in this area where she is photographed but is usually playing in the trees behind her. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
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According to her keeper, Mdm Wu Tianhong, Jia Jia has been not her usual self lately. "It's like she knows that she is about to leave this place," said Mdm Wu. She is rarely in this area where she is photographed but is usually playing in the trees behind her. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
With the arrival of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia in two days' time, Singapore Zoo prepares to welcome its new residents on Sept 4, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
With the arrival of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia in two days' time, Singapore Zoo prepares to welcome its new residents on Sept 4, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Kai Kai and Jia Jia plush toys. To commemorate the arrival of Kai Kai and Jia Jia, some companies have created panda-inspired memorabilia to welcome the giant animals arriving on Sept 6, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
A preview of panda memorabilia that will eventually be on sale at the Singapore Zoo on Sept 4, 2012. The Panda countdown. As banners go up to toast the arrival of Jia Jia and Kai Kai on Thursday, companies are cranking out panda souvenirs. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Panda card holders. A preview of panda memorabilia that will eventually be on sale at the Singapore Zoo on Sept 4, 2012. As banners go up to toast the arrival of Jia Jia and Kai Kai on Thursday, companies are cranking out panda souvenirs. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The panda memorabilia that will eventually go on sale at the Singapore Zoo to celebrate China's giant panda couple Kai Kai and Jia Jia arrival in Singapore. The animals are on loan to Singapore from China for 10 years and will be housed in an enclosure at the new River Safari in Mandai. The safari officially opens in 2013 but visitors will be able to see the pandas from Dec 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
The curious and playful Kai Kai taking a rest in his enclosure. The 5-year-old male panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. He has been quarantined for a month where he was kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas and the area is out-of-bound to visitors to their panda base in Ya'an Bifeng gorge in the Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Kai Kai, a five-year-old male panda, will be in Singapore along with four-year-old female Jia Jia on Sept 6, 2012. The pandas are on loan to Singapore from China. Before their flight, they were quarantined for a month and kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas at their base in Ya’an Bifeng gorge in Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Kai Kai, a five-year-old male panda, will be in Singapore along with four-year-old female Jia Jia on Sept 6, 2012. The pandas are on loan to Singapore from China. Before their flight, they were quarantined for a month and kept in an enclosure away from the other pandas at their base in Ya’an Bifeng gorge in Sichuan province. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
Jia Jia, twists the stalks of bamboo shoots with her paws pulling out its leaves with her teeth. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6, 2012. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
According to her keeper, Mdm Wu Tianhong, Jia Jia has been not her usual self lately. "It's like she knows that she is about to leave this place," said Mdm Wu. She is rarely in this area where she is photographed but is usually playing in the trees behind her. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
According to her keeper, Mdm Wu Tianhong, Jia Jia has been not her usual self lately. "It's like she knows that she is about to leave this place," said Mdm Wu. She is rarely in this area where she is photographed but is usually playing in the trees behind her. The 4-year-old female panda is one of the 2 pandas bound for Singapore on Sept 6. -- ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
PANDAS Kai Kai and Jia Jia will be starting their new lives in Singapore in less than 24 hours.
After a celebratory farewell party at the Ya'an panda base, the two set off for the airport at about 3.20pm on Wednesday.
The pandas will be flown to Singapore on an overnight flight and will arrive in Singapore at 8.20am on Thursday morning.
From there they will be taken to their new home at the River Safari.
