Giant panda twins born in HK
City now awaits next pair of bears from mainland to mark its 27th anniversary
Hong Kong is experiencing a new wave of panda fever, with residents warmly extending wishes to the first locally-born twin giant pandas, and hailing the new progress on the delivery of one more pair of pandas gifted by the central government.
On Thursday, Hong Kong welcomed a female and a male baby pandas, offspring of Ying Ying and Le Le, who were gifted by the nation in 2007.
This is the first time that a panda has given birth in the city since Hong Kong received the first pair of giant pandas from Sichuan province in 1999.
A lot of Hong Kong residents have expressed their joy over the new arrivals, with Ocean Park's social media platforms being full of comments such as, "A pigeon pair of babies is a good sign!" and "I wonder what they will be called?"
Steffie Kwok, a Hong Kong resident in her 30s, said she is excited about the birth of panda babies and plans to buy an Ocean Park annual pass to see them.
She hopes that the park would release more videos of the panda babies documenting their growth and daily routines, allowing the city's residents to learn more about the adorable creatures.
Mia Chen, a 26-year-old panda enthusiast living near the Shenzhen-Hong Kong border crossing, said that as an annual pass holder she would visit the park regularly once the panda babies are old enough for public viewing.
A tourist named Fang, aged 28, who traveled from Shanghai to Hong Kong, said that with these pandas, Ocean Park will become a more romantic spot for tourists to visit and enjoy.
Leung Ka-lun, a giant panda keeper in the Ocean Park, who earlier went to Sichuan to prepare for the arrival of new pandas, wrote a letter to Ying Ying on his social media, saying that he is proud of her.
"It's a little sad for me not being able to be there for you and witness the big moment, but I'm thankful that you and your cubs are being taken care of," Leung said. "I can't wait to see you soon when I come back with your new friends!"
John Lee Ka-chiu, chief executive of Hong Kong, said that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which makes the birth of panda twins even more special.
Wrapping up his two-day visit to Sichuan on Friday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung told the media that the Hong Kong government will strive to take the new pair of giant pandas from Sichuan to Hong Kong by the end of September.
He added that the pandas need to be quarantined for 30 days before transportation to ensure their health and safety. They will undergo another month in quarantine after their arrival and take about one more month to adapt to the environment. Their transportation will be handled by Cathay Pacific.
Accompanied by Yeung, representatives of Hong Kong's Ocean Park signed a formal agreement with China Conservation and Research Centre for the Giant Panda in Sichuan to confirm the panda delivery arrangement. Besides, the deal has also deepened the cooperation between Hong Kong and Sichuan in the care, breeding research and science education about giant pandas.
On July 1, the Hong Kong government announced that the central government had agreed to gift another pair of giant pandas to the special administrative region, to mark its 27th anniversary.
In early July, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu visited Sichuan for three days to discuss the following arrangement. Lee said the central government had selected a male panda of 120 kilograms and a female panda of 100 kg for Hong Kong, aged from 5 to 8.
During the past decades, the SAR was gifted two pairs of giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia, as well as Ying Ying and Le Le, to commemorate Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the SAR's 10th anniversary.
Yeung said many Hong Kong residents had grown up alongside the much-loved animals. He said he believed that the new pair of giant pandas can be close "family members" of Hong Kong residents and bring joy to the public.