Xing Xing-Liang Liang's second cub is a girl

PETALING JAYA: The newborn second cub to giant pandas Xing Xing and Liang Liang is a female that weighs 190g.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Jaafar said the cub is healthy and being cared for by its mother and the handlers at Zoo Negara.

"We hope that she will continue to be healthy and we look forward to being able to visit her in the near future," he said in a statement on Saturday (Jan 20).

Liang Liang and Xing Xing broke the world record for having a second baby within four years via natural reproduction.

Liang Liang gave birth to the cub at 7.50am on Sunday, 89 days after mating on Oct 18, 2017.

The good news came after Nuan Nuan, the first Malaysia-born female panda cub, was sent back to China in November last year.

Nuan Nuan was born within 15 months of the arrival of Xing Xing and Liang Liang under a 10-year loan programme.

The pair of giant panda came on May 21, 2014, to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.