Hong Kong has invited the public to help name the city’s first locally-born giant panda cubs. The twin cubs, who celebrated their six-month milestone on Saturday, made their first public appearance at Ocean Park, which now houses the largest number of pandas in captivity outside mainland China.
The naming competition was announced at a celebratory ceremony attended by local officials. The names for the cubs will be revealed in the first half of this year. Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee encouraged the public to submit their name suggestions online before the competition closes on 7 March. The competition is open only to Hong Kong residents.
“Since the cubs’ birth, Hong Kong residents have been affectionately calling them ‘Elder Sister’ and ‘Little Brother’, like when we’re at home addressing our children – which we could keep to distinguish them,” Mr. Lee said. “But there is also a need to give them proper names … I invite everyone’s enthusiastic participation.”
Participants can submit one entry, along with an explanation of the proposed name’s meaning in no more than 100 Chinese characters. The winner will receive various prizes, including four adult annual memberships to Ocean Park, as stated on the zoo’s website.
The cubs will continue to be on display for the public and can be visited daily for a fee, with their activities streamed online. Born on 15 August last year, the cubs made their mother, Ying Ying, the world’s oldest first-time panda mom. Mr. Lee noted the cubs’ significance for Hong Kong and praised their debut as a result of collective efforts. He also mentioned that the cubs are in excellent health, having grown from just 120 grams at birth to over 10 kilograms.
Elke Wu, the park’s assistant curator for zoological operations, shared that six carers have been rotating shifts to care for the cubs, who have become more active as they grow. “Initially, we were worried about whether they’d fall and hurt themselves, but the experts from Sichuan have said it is safe for them to explore and learn to climb. They are very accomplished climbers so there was no need to be too concerned,” Wu told the South China Morning Post.
In celebration of the pandas’ debut, Hong Kong launched various activities, including 3D panda mailboxes and a sculpture exhibition, as reported by China Daily. Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said that excitement around the pandas has reached a peak, with panda-themed products appearing throughout the city, boosting tourism. He also mentioned that the park has seen a 30 percent increase in visitor numbers during the Christmas period compared to the previous year.
“We’re turning the page and we believe the pandas are definitely helping the income of the park,” Pong stated. He added that attendance rose by 10 percent during the recently concluded Lunar New Year holidays.
