HONG KONG (AP) — Panda craze has as soon as once more gripped Hong Kong as citizens compete to call the territory’s first locally-born large panda cubs who simply became six months outdated.
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
The contest to call the dual cubs, born Aug. 15, introduced Saturday following a celebratory rite attended through Hong Kong chief John Lee and different officers at Ocean Park, the theme park that properties the twins, their folks and two different large pandas that arrived from mainland China remaining 12 months. Citizens can post their tips by the use of the park’s site. Lee mentioned the southern Chinese language town now has the most important collection of pandas in captivity outdoor of mainland China, and the cubs’ names could be introduced within the first part of this 12 months.
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
The pair, recently known because the “Elder Sister” and the “Little Brother,” will make their public debut on Sunday and meet guests for 5 hours day by day. Those that wish to revel in time with the cubs outdoor common visiting hours, prior to the park opens, will pay 1,500 Hong Kong bucks (about $190).
All the way through a media preview consultation on Saturday, the male cub laid on a swing enjoying with a tree stick prior to a carer positioned him on a slide. The feminine cub explored the enclosure prior to hiking onto a tree.
The panda carers mentioned the feminine cub gave the impression extra lively than her male dual. She loves hiking the tree within the enclosure and resting there whilst her brother loves to wander round and play with the crops. The male cub has been marked with two pink food-coloring spots on its again to tell apart it from his sister.
The delivery of the infant pandas remaining 12 months made their mom Ying Ying the arena’s oldest first-time panda mother. Their recognition on social media additionally raised hopes for the town’s tourism spice up. Officers have inspired companies to capitalize at the panda craze to take hold of alternatives in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda financial system.”
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs makes their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs makes their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Ocean Park’s chairman Paulo Pong informed journalists on Saturday that the park already noticed source of revenue will increase over the Christmas duration and Lunar New Yr vacation, along an uptake in out of the country vacationers, after the newly arrived pandas from mainland China began to greet the general public.“We’re turning the web page and we consider the pandas are surely serving to the source of revenue of the park,” he mentioned. However taking care of pandas in captivity is pricey. Ocean Park recorded a deficit of 71.6 million Hong Kong bucks ($9.2 million) remaining monetary 12 months, and in 2020 required a central authority reduction fund to stick afloat. Observers are looking at if caring for six pandas will upload to its burden or give it an opportunity to restore its industry.
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)
Hong Kong-born large panda dual cubs make their debut look to media in Ocean Park all the way through a greeting rite in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photograph/Chan Lengthy Hei)Learn Extra
Pong mentioned elevating pandas was once about animal conservation and training, as a substitute of “only a cash workout.”Pandas are regarded as China’s unofficial nationwide mascot. The rustic’s large panda mortgage program with out of the country zoos has lengthy been noticed as a device of Beijing’s soft-power international relations.
