SINGAPORE: Singapore residents headed to view the country's two pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia on Saturday as the enclosure opened on Thursday, Singapore Zoo officials said. They reported that around 2,000 people saw the two Chinese pandas on the first day of viewing, but expect the numbers to increase during holidays and weekends. Animal rights activists claimed victory over the first day after lines were short and the estimated number of visitors came in well short of expected numbers. Activists told Bikyamasr.com they believe this is due to their ongoing campaign against keeping the animals in the country despite the climate being entirely opposite from their natural habitat. “We want all animals to not be in captivity and even more so these two pandas because they are not in their natural habitat," animal rights campaigner Teresa Cho told Bikyamasr.com on Thursday afternoon as she and fellow activists were gathering to plan potential demonstrations against the panda's remaining in Singapore. Singapore's government has also begun selling souvenirs, such as panda-inspired bags and toys. The panda pair, which are on a 10-year loan from the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) to Singapore, were initially meant to arrive in March, but their arrival was delayed because more changes had to be made to their $8.5 million enclosure. Director of CWCA Zhong Yi told members of the media in mid-August that representatives made a visit of the 1,225 square meter panda enclosure in June and found everything in order. Like their fellow animal rights activists in Malaysia, Singapore's growing animal advocate community has condemned the government's decision to accept a pair of pandas from China. The activists told Bikyamasr.com that the conditions in Singapore “are not appropriate for pandas and the move would cause unnecessary stress for the animals." Brihana Chow said that the government should not accept the animals, “as it is a symbol of cruelty and they won't have access to their natural, dryer and colder climate that they get in China." The anger comes after Malaysia also accepted two pandas in June as part of boosting diplomatic relations between the two countries, but animal rights activists said the government was unprepared to host the animals.
