Hong Kong-born giant panda cubs to meet public Sunday

HONG KONG - The first locally-born giant panda cubs at Ocean Park Hong Kong are set to meet the public on Sunday, and residents are encouraged to propose names for the cuddly twins.

The pair of giant panda cubs was born last August and their parents are Ying Ying and Le Le, the giant pandas gifted by the central government to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At a greeting ceremony Saturday, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee expressed heartfelt gratitude to the experts for taking excellent care of the twins and providing professional postnatal care to Ying Ying after her giving birth to the cubs.

"Ying Ying, the mother of the twin cubs, is on record as the world's oldest giant panda to give birth for the first time. The birth of the twin cubs not only solidifies the outstanding achievements of our country in giant panda conservation, but also demonstrates the Ocean Park's leading position as an important conservation and education base in Hong Kong," he said, adding that the HKSAR government will continue to advance and promote conservation of giant pandas.

Lee also announced the launch of a naming competition for the cubs. At present, members of the public are calling the twin cubs "elder sister" and "little brother." Hong Kong residents are encouraged to suggest a pair of names for the twin cubs by observing their physical features and characteristics, as well as the interaction between the cubs and their daily lives. Results will be announced in the first half of this year.

Over the past six months, the cubs have grown healthily from around 120 grams at birth to more than 12 kg now, according to caretakers.