World

Twin panda cubs make public debut in Hong Kong

By skynews

Posted on 16/02/2025

Twin panda cubs make public debut in Hong Kong

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s youngest celebrities, a pair of six-month-old panda cubs, met with their adoring fans in their first public appearance, on Sunday.

The twin cubs, born Aug. 15, are Hong Kong’s first locally-born giant panda cubs. They are hosted at the theme park Ocean Park along with their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year.

Souvenirs of the Hong Kong-born giant panda twin cubs are displayed at a shop in Ocean Park as they make their debut appearance to public in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong-born giant panda twin cubs make their debut appearance to public in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Hong Kong-born giant panda twin cubs make their debut appearance to media in Ocean Park during a greeting ceremony in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Crowds flocked to the theme park on Sunday to catch a glimpse of the pandas inside their enclosure. Their caretakers were at hand as the pandas climbed up a tree trunk or slept on a swing.

A large selection of panda-themed souvenirs was available.

The cubs don’t have names yet – they are being referred to as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother.” A public competition to name them was launched Saturday following an event attended by Hong Kong leader John Lee and other officials. Residents can submit their name suggestions via the park’s website.

Visitors enter the panda enclosure to meet the Hong Kong-born giant panda twin cubs as they make their debut appearance to public in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Souvenirs of the Hong Kong giant panda are displayed at a shop in Ocean Park as they make their debut appearance to public in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

Visitors take selfie at the panda enclosure as the Hong Kong-born giant panda twin cubs make their debut appearance to public in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)

The twins can meet with visitors for five hours daily. Those who want to enjoy time with the cubs outside regular visiting hours, before the park opens, can pay 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (about $190).

With the cubs’ birth, Hong Kong now has the largest number of pandas in captivity outside of mainland China. Their names will be announced in the first half of the year.