HONG KONG (AP) — On Thursday, Hong Kong celebrated the arrival of two new giant pandas, An An and Ke Ke, gifted by Beijing in a grand ceremony. This addition raises hopes for a significant boost in tourism for the city.
These pandas are the third pair sent to Hong Kong from mainland China since the territory was handed back to Chinese governance in 1997. Their arrival follows the recent birth of twins by their new neighbor, Ying Ying, who made history as the world’s oldest first-time panda mother last month.
With the inclusion of An An, Ke Ke, their father Le Le, and the newborn twins, Hong Kong now boasts a total of six pandas.
According to Chief Executive John Lee, An An is a lively 5-year-old male panda known for his agility and intelligence, while 5-year-old female Ke Ke is noted for her climbing skills, cuteness, and gentle demeanor.
Before the public can meet the new pandas, they will undergo a two-month quarantine to help them adjust to their new environment at Ocean Park, a popular zoo and aquarium in the city. Lee anticipates that residents could have the opportunity to see the pandas by mid-December.
To celebrate the pandas’ arrival, the government plans to invite the public to suggest new names in October that reflect the bears’ unique characteristics.
Representatives from the tourism sector are optimistic that the presence of six pandas will enhance visitor numbers to Hong Kong. Authorities are encouraging local businesses to leverage the popularity of the new pandas and their cubs, referring to this potential economic boom as the “panda economy.”
Pandas are regarded as China’s unofficial national symbol, and the nation’s giant panda loan program with international zoos is often viewed as a form of soft-power diplomacy. As pandas are native only to China’s southwestern regions, their population faces threats from habitat destruction and development.
However, maintaining pandas in captivity can be financially challenging. For instance, a zoo in Finland agreed to return two loaned pandas to China more than eight years early, citing the high costs associated with their care amid declining attendance.
Ocean Park has been home to pandas since 1999, when the first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived shortly after the territory’s return to Chinese sovereignty. Jia Jia, who sadly passed away at the age of 38 in 2016, holds the record as the oldest panda ever to live in captivity. Typically, wild pandas live around 18 to 20 years, while those in captivity can live up to 30 years, according to Guinness World Records.
