FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of pandas in Malaysia's national zoo
2. Zoo entrance
3. Ticket counter
4. Various of baby panda

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Aug 29, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of farewell ceremony in progress
6. SOUNDBITE (Malay) Huang Tiong Sii, deputy minister, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (ending with shot 7):
"The return of these giant panda cubs serves the purpose of giant panda conservation, enabling them to socialize and breed with other giant pandas."

FILE: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of panda

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Aug 29, 2023 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of visitors taking pictures of pandas
9. Panda eating

Malaysia's national zoo bade farewell to two young giant pandas on Tuesday after the COVID-19 pandemic delayed their home return journey by over three years.

The siblings are kids of the giant panda couple Xing Xing and Liang Liang, both 17-year-old, who were sent to Malaysia as friendship "ambassadors" in 2014.

Xing Xing and Liang Liang produced their first cub, Nuan Nuan, just over a year after arriving -- a world record for a natural birth in captivity outside of China. No sooner had that cub been sent to China then Liang Liang gave birth again. Their second baby, Yi Yi, was due to head to China early in 2020, but the pandemic intervened. The third Sheng Yi was born on May 31, 2021.

Now that the three-year COVID has gone, Yi Yi and Sheng Yi are going back home together.

"The return of these giant panda cubs serves the purpose of giant panda conservation, enabling them to socialize and breed with other giant pandas," said Huang Tiong Sii, Malaysian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources.

Hopefully, the adult pandas, loaned to Malaysia to mark the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, may once again produce a new offspring in time to mark the 50th anniversary in 2024.