Malaysia-born baby panda Nuan Nuan makes debut in Sichuan

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China panda base sets 10,000 steps goal for Nuan Nuan.

PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - With a video, Malaysian-born baby panda Nuan Nuan made her debut at the Dujiangyan Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province, China, after a month-long quarantine.

The video, with subtitles, showed the cub frolicking in her new home as well as "talking" about herself, her family in Malaysia and even her hope of training to become "Kung Fu Panda".

"I think I have the potential to be a Kung Fu Panda," she "expressed" through the video uploaded by China's official Xinhua news agency during her first public appearance on Thursday (Dec 28).

The 90-second video has the cub "introducing" herself as a "two-year-old girl, chubby but pretty", who was born in Zoo Negara and whose parents are still living in Malaysia.

"A month-long quarantine finally finished. It's my debut in Sichuan after returning from Malaysia," the subtitles said.

Just like when she was in Malaysia, Nuan Nuan's favourite food is still carrots.

"I am getting familiar with my keeper who used to be my mummy's (keeper)," the subtitles said as the video showed Nuan Nuan's balancing act on parallel bars.

Her keeper Liu Juan was reported as saying that while Nuan Nuan was outgoing, she did not like the bamboo shoots usually favoured by other pandas.

Dujiangyan city government recently held a special New Year gathering for Nuan Nuan and issued the cub with the world's first panda identity card.

More such cards will be issued to every giant panda living in the city.

Nuan Nuan was born within 15 months of the arrival of her parents, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, who are in Malaysia on a 10-year loan.

The two giant pandas arrived in Malaysia on May 21, 2014, to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.

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