Meet the Pandas!

Ten years ago, while freelancing for TODAY Newspaper, I had the incredible opportunity to travel to Ya’an in Chendgu to get the first glimpse of Jia Jia and Kai Kai - ahead of their journey to Singapore.

I remember wondering how in the world I would ‘profile’ them. It wasn’t as if we could chat over a meal!

I spent three days learning about the conservation work at the Ya’an Bifengxia Panda Base and spent the rest of the time observing pandas go about their day. This consisted mainly of being cute, eating, sleeping and pooping.

While it was extremely therapeutic to simply watch them waddle around and do panda things, my photographer colleague and I had moments of panic because Jia Jia would not get out of her tree. So while we had plenty of chances to obtain photos and close observation of Kai Kai - we only had faraway views of the media-shy Jia Jia.

Thankfully, just hours before we were to fly back to Singapore, on our final morning, she made an appearance. And what a show she put on.

It has been a blast to look back on this piece a decade later - just as we welcome the panda couple’s first cub and as Chinese authorities announce that pandas are no longer on the endangered list.