A year ago today, Feng Yi’s daughter received her name, Nuan Nuan. What has she been up to? She’s been growing and growing, and becoming more panda every day.

Nuan Nuan is almost 20 months old and four months closer to beginning her return journey to China. It’s one of the most asked questions by visitors to the panda complex – when is she returning to China, or is she returning when she turns two? Sometimes, it’s a comment – we hear she’s going back to China when she turns two.

That’s what’s stated in the loan agreement with China. I interpret it as anytime after she turns two. And from what I’ve seen of other overseas-born pandas returning to China, most had been returned quite a while, sometimes a year or more, after they turned two. So it could be soon after she turns two, or six months or a year later.

Meanwhile, she’s still with Feng Yi. They haven’t separated and still share the yard during exhibit hours. They still share the platform, but often eat in different parts of the yard, although Lil’ … I mean, Nuan Nuan sometimes tries to grab mama’s food, and being aggressive about it, too. And they still play like crazy most afternoons.

Here’s a mini Nuan Nuan photo gallery featuring her “official” 19th “monthday” photo taken on 18 March 2017, her “wild” side on two occasions, but still mummy’s girl.

Nuan Nuan at 19 months on 18 March 2017

I want what you’re eating!

Nuan Nuan tugs hard at the leaves in mama’s paws

Still sharing the increasingly shrinking top platform with mama