When most animals in the Zoo Negara Malaysia on the outskirt of Kuala Lumpur are still asleep early in the morning, the pantry at the Giant Panda Conservation Center (GPCC) already lights up. Panda caretaker Akmal Hadi Samsuddin has started his workday by preparing breakfast for the panda family.

Fresh bamboo is the staple food while apples, pears, and bamboo shoots are washed, weighed, and cut into pieces to put on a plate. There are also panda “cakes” made of eggs, soybeans, corn, rice, sugar, salt, calcium powder, and corn oil.

“We usually taste the cakes before putting them in the oven,” Akmal said, adding that they need to make six meals every day for the panda family, including the dad Xing Xing, the mum Liang Liang, and their two daughters Yi Yi and Sheng Yi.