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SINGAPORE: The Night Safari and Singapore Zoo have cultivated four different species of bamboo in anticipation of the arrival of a pair of giant pandas from China next year.
The pandas are on loan to Singapore and will be a main attraction of River Safari, Asia's first river-themed wildlife park, which will open its doors in 2012.
Wild Reserves Singapore (WRS) said in the past six months, the horticultural department has been planting and nurturing four different bamboo species.
Three of them are native to the homeland of the giant pandas.
The team has successfully grown about 1,300 clumps of the four species of bamboo on their grounds.
To ensure an ample supply of bamboo for the giant pandas, up to 5,400 clumps need to be planted on about 8,000 square metres of land
During a visit to the giant panda base in Chengdu, China, earlier this year, the WRS team even brought along the bamboos they had planted to these two giant pandas for a taste test.
Assistant director at the WRS horticulture department, Melvin Tan, said they're partial to two species - Siamese bamboo and hedge bamboo - as these have wide leaves and are juicier.
Meanwhile a nationwide naming competition for the two giant pandas will end next Tuesday.
-CNA/wk
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