After 10 years, Fu Wa and Feng Yi are going back to China
KUALA LUMPUR: An overcast sky in the morning loomed over Zoo Negara as faithful fans of Fu Wa and Feng Yi came to say goodbye, their hearts heavy at the thought of the pandas leaving Malaysia soon.
“To me, they’re not just animals. They’re like my children. I talk to them, and they always respond in their own way,” said freelancer Chin Lee Peng, who has been coming to Zoo Negara twice a week over the past five months to see the pandas.
She estimated that she had spent about RM1,700 on entrance tickets, excluding food purchased at the zoo and toll on the drive from her home in Puchong.
Chin, 56, has since become a familiar face among zoo staff.
Bon voyage: As the countdown to their departure begins, panda fans visiting Zoo Negara bid a heartfelt farewell to Fu Wa and Feng Yi. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
“I love pandas very much. Ever since I fell in love with them, I’ve been coming here almost twice a week. If there’s a public holiday, I’ll be here too,” said Chin, her voice trembling.
She would often spend the whole day at the panda enclosure from 9.30am until closing time.
“If I were not working, I’d be here every day. Now that the moment has come for them to leave, it’s hard to accept. But I’ll keep following them, even from afar.”
Chin was among the those who stood outside the Giant Panda Conservation Centre, peering through the glass, hoping for one last glimpse of Fu Wa and Feng Yi.
A social media update from Zoo Negara said that the centre remains open but Fu Wa and Feng Yi can now only be viewed from behind glass.
Both pandas came to Malaysia in May 2014 at the age of eight. Their arrival was a result of a 10-year loan agreement between Malaysia and China to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between both nations.
On Saturday, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry announced that Fu Wa and Feng Yi have been placed under quarantine ahead of their journey back to China next month.
Chin struggles to hold back tears.
Soon after, another pair of pandas will arrive under a new 10-year agreement.
As for panda fan, Shaira Ali, 41, she said she had been visiting the duo two to three times a month over the past five to six years.
“After the pandemic, I started coming more often. It helped me feel calm,” she said.
The news of their imminent departure caught her by surprise as she thought their stay would be extended further.
Shaira had travelled to the zoo from Negri Sembilan yesterday with her husband, Azmir Khan, 39, and fellow panda enthusiast Lily Atikah, 27, from Ampang.
The three stood in silence, as they watched Fu Wa and Feng Yi through the glass.
Shaira said that a group of at least 10 regular visitors are hoping to return to the zoo on the farewell day, if it doesn’t fall on a workday.
“We hope they’ll be well looked after in China. They have been so loved here in Malaysia,” she said.
