Arrival of An An and Ke Ke celebrated by fans and officials during airport ceremony
Apair of giant pandas gifted by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region arrived at their new home in Ocean Park Hong Kong on Sept 26,
taking the total number of the beloved bears in the city to six.
Pandas An An and Ke Ke, both born in June 2019, will spend around 30 days in quarantine and another 30 days adapting to their new environment before making their public debut during the Christmas holiday.
The pair arrived at Hong Kong International Airport on the morning of Sept 26 and were welcomed with a ceremony attended by SAR officials and a crowd of enthusiastic panda fans.
Paulo Pong Kin-yee, chairman of Ocean Park, met with the media in the afternoon and said the pair will live in the expanded and renovated Hong Kong Jockey Club Sichuan Treasures facility at the park. This month, Hong Kong plans to host a special event to invite the public to suggest new names for the pandas, according to tradition. Pong said he hoped An An and Ke Ke would be ready to meet visitors by Christmas.
The pandas will join another pair, Ying Ying and Le Le, who were gifted by the central government to the city in 2007. Ying Ying gave birth to twins on Aug 15 this year.
Pong said the most crucial aspect of caring for six giant pandas is the staffing arrangement, noting that the park currently has enough hands for the job, including experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan province, who will stay in Hong Kong to offer assistance.
The new panda pair is likely to breed during the next mating season, according to experts from Sichuan. Pong said the park will help facilitate the process.
To celebrate the arrival of An An and Ke Ke, Ocean Park offered free panda-shaped ice cream to its annual pass members from Sept 26 to 28 and also introduced three new panda-themed desserts at its restaurants.
The park is designing a diverse range of panda products with Hong Kong characteristics, and Pong expressed the hope that various sectors will benefit from the opportunities brought by this panda economy.
Visitor Lu Yingfang, 45, who was carrying a panda-themed bag with a panda plush toy attached to it, said she waited for over an hour in the midday heat to welcome the two new pandas to Ocean Park.
Even though she caught only a glimpse of the panda convoy from a distance, Lu said, “I’m so excited, I’m so happy.”
In a Facebook post, Matt, one of the Ocean Park caretakers, noted: “An An is a boy with a sharp face and long limbs. He looks huge but he’s actually very gentle! From my observation, he’s quite curious about things around him and often goes on adventures.”
As for Ke Ke, “she’s a little princess! She resembles (previous panda) Ying Ying a bit, with a round face and short limbs. She really knows how to enjoy her ‘me time’, relaxing with her favorite foods,” said Matt.
The public have been invited to come up with new names for the two giant pandas until Oct 27 , and a panda-themed drawing competition will be rolled out on Oct 21.
Announcing the news, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said the aim of the naming contest is to find names that best describe the traits of the pandas. Those submitting name suggestions are asked to explain the reasons behind their choice in 100 words. The government will also set up a dedicated committee to take charge of the naming campaign.
