Yesterday (25 April), in a touching reunion at the Ziqing Lake Wildlife Zoo in Nanjing, Akmal, a Malaysian zookeeper, and his colleague Saifullah visited Nuan Nuan, a giant panda they haven’t seen for seven years.
Nuan Nuan, who grew up under the tender care of Akmal in Malaysia, was the centre of a heartwarming scene that was captured in a video shared by the Chinese Embassy in Malaysia.
Papa is here!
In the video, Akmal can be seen calling out to Nuan Nuan from a distance, joyously greeting her by name.
Adding a personal touch to the visit, Akmal brought along a panda toy that Nuan Nuan used to cuddle with in her sleep when she was a cub.
Standing in front of Nuan Nuan, he reminisced about the 1,300 days that have passed since they last met.
Upon arriving at the zoo, Akmal’s excitement was palpable. His face lit up with a broad smile throughout the visit.
Initially, Nuan Nuan, dubbed the “panda princess,” was asleep and seemingly unaware of her “panda dad’s” presence.
However, she eventually woke up and shared a poignant moment of deep, affectionate eye contact with Akmal, creating a tender and heartwarming scene.
“My precious baby”
The reunion not only moved Akmal but also attracted the attention of visitors at the zoo. Many recognized him as Nuan Nuan’s Malaysian caretaker and eagerly approached him for photos.
In an interview with local media, Akmal spoke fondly of Nuan Nuan, describing her as the precious baby he raised in his hands. Nuan Nuan is the daughter of Fuwa (Xing Xing) and Fengyi (Li Li), giant pandas residing in Malaysia.
Born on August 18, 2015, she is the first panda born in Malaysia and has captured the hearts of people in both Malaysia and China.
Watch the full video here:
