They are black and white, cute and China's most effective ambassadors. Now, the latest pair of goodwill emissaries are settling down nicely in their custom-made home before meeting new friends this week. Nicole Kwan reports from the River Safari Park in Singapore.

Step past the tall bamboo gates and the air turns crisp and cool, bearing the faint scent of fresh foliage. In the distance, the tranquil tinkling of a waterfall provides a musical background that mutes the soft earthy thud of footfalls as visitors approach a lush man-made enclosure in equatorial Singapore.

The cavernous 1,500-square-meter Giant Panda Forest is Southeast Asia's largest indoor panda exhibit at the River Safari, Wildlife Reserves Singapore's latest attraction and home to the island's latest residents - giant panda Kai Kai, 5, and his playmate, 4-year-old Jia Jia.

Jia Jia is more animated and adventurous, munching amid carefully landscaped foliage. [Photo/China Daily]

Jia Jia means "pretty" or "auspicious" in Chinese, while Kai Kai means "victory", both names picked in a popular contest held when it was announced that China would send the pandas over to Singapore.

The panda pair was flown some 3,000 km from Chengdu to Singapore in early September, and they are now nicely settled in their new abode. They will meet their adoring public for the first time on Nov 29, and China Daily was given an exclusive preview to find out how the pandas are coping.

Both Kai Kai and Jia Jia seemed to be very comfortable, munching lazily amid carefully landscaped greenery and occasionally scaling a tree or a boulder.

They barely notice the heat from the late morning sun because they are living in an insulated glass and metal paneled dome, subtly patterned with bamboo leaf motifs. The climate-controlled bio-dome aims to simulate the lush subtropical monsoon terrain of Sichuan province by moderating temperature and humidity levels, with plenty of plants and sunlight ensuring the exchange of fresh air.

The giant pandas were presented to Singapore to celebrate 20 years of Sino-Singapore bilateral relations, while also promoting awareness of conservation for these endangered animals, in collaboration with China Wildlife Conservation Association.

Much has been invested to ensure that the pandas transition comfortably into their new environment.

An extensive collaboration between horticulturalists, exhibit architects and zoology teams yielded an elaborately designed S$8.6 million ($7.2 million) enclosure that is similar to the pandas' natural habitat in the Ya'an Forest.

Everything within the enclosure is meticulously measured and planned for - from boulder size to boardwalk height, to even the types of plants used.

"There are no glass walls or steel bars that separate the people from the exhibits, providing a close-up experience with the pandas within a natural-looking enclosure," says River Safari's Assistant Director of Zoology, Ang Cheng Chye, 46.

Specially cultivated plots of bamboo have also been prepared for the diet-specific bears. Four types of locally grown bamboo - Siamese bamboo, sulfur bamboo, hedge bamboo and Buddha's belly bamboo, were "paw-picked" by the pandas when the zoology team brought samples over during visits to Sichuan.

The bamboo is harvested daily, carefully stored and cleaned before being fed to the pandas. The plants undergo bi-monthly pest and nutrient analysis by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore to ensure quality.

Ang Cheng Chye's Team Panda invested much time and love to make sure their charges are happily settled in their new home. Bundles of bamboo and leaf-camouflaged biscuits left in various parts of the enclosure encourage the pair to explore their new home. [Photo/China Daily]

Ang says the pandas are now feeding solely on local bamboo, complemented by high-fiber biscuits and apples. Bundles of bamboo and leaf-camouflaged biscuits are placed in various parts of the enclosure to encourage the pair to explore their new home.

Together with the zoo's assistant director of veterinary services, Dr Serena Oh, and assistant curator Halim Ali, Ang made various trips to the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Ya'an to study the husbandry needs and veterinary requirements of the pandas.

With two senior keepers from the Ya'an Bifengxia Panda Base seconded to Singapore for six to 12 months, the local zoology team is well-equipped to facilitate behavioral and endocrinology research, partnering in CCRC's breeding program of these endangered animals.

The keepers have been keeping a close eye on the bears since their introduction to the new enclosure in early October, to ensure they are well settled before they meet the public.

Ang says the pandas had adapted to their new environment well.

"Some animals took up to six months to even venture out from their crates into their new environment. But for Kai Kai and Jia Jia, right from the first day of their arrival, they came out to explore."

Halim affectionately describes how Kai Kai, with his signature mini mohawk or "onion head", usually lounges among the shrubbery, dreamily munching a few shoots. He sometimes saunters around the hilly enclosure, arches his back to mark a bush and curls around the base of a tree for a quiet, contented nap.

Jia Jia, in contrast, is more animated and adventurous. Although cautious in the beginning, Halim says she was the first to explore the outdoor yard.

It was not long before she was taking quick dips in the waterfall and parading around the enclosure, chomping voraciously on the different types of bamboo.

The effort undertaken by the Singapore zoo to ensure the safety and comfort of these pandas is commendable.

"It doesn't matter if they are diplomatic gifts or just a random fish in the pond. For us, the very minimum we can give to them is good care," Ang says.

Halim agrees, with a smile, and he says it is all worth the effort, despite the complexities, coordination and care involved in looking after these gentle giants.

It is clear that, at the very heart of Team Panda, the message of wildlife conservation is a "black and white" issue, and that is: the Singaporeans are very proud of their latest friends from China.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.