Almost certain panda cub female - GPCC

Three weeks after its birth on Aug 18, the gender of the yet to be named giant panda cub is 90 per cent certain to be a female.

The Giant Panda Conservation Centre (GPCC) Zoology and Veterinary director Dr Mat Naim Ramli said from his observation, there were no structures of a male organ on the back of the cub.

"We will find out more in a month's time when the physical features of the cub become clearer," he told Bernama on Tuesday.

Dr Mat Naim said the centre does not intend to carry out a DNA test to ascertain the sex of the cub as carried out on panda cubs in US zoos recently.

He said, in US, the DNA test was conducted to determine the parents of the cub as they have two pairs of giant pandas there. "Unlike the situation in US, we only have one pair, Liang Liang and Xing Xing," said Dr Mat Naim adding that black spots have started appearing on the eye area, ears, shoulder and feet and its nails have grown about 0.5 cm, indicating its physical good health. Dr Mat Naim said the nails of the cub are sharp like other species of bears.

According to the agreement with China, the giant panda cub would only be in the country for two years before being sent to the republic.

Liang Liang and Xing Xing arrived in Malaysia from China on May 24, 2104 as a symbol of 40 years of diplomatic relations between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.