PHOTOS: 6-month-old twin panda cubs climb and sleep at their debut in Hong Kong
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s youngest celebrities, twin 6-month-old panda cubs, made their first public appearance before adoring fans Sunday.
The cubs born Aug. 15 are Hong Kong’s first locally born giant panda cubs. They live at the Ocean Park theme park along with their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year.
Crowds flocked to the park Sunday to glimpse the pandas inside their enclosure. Their caretakers were at hand as the pandas climbed up a tree trunk or slept on a swing.
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)
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)
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)
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 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 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 public in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
Visitors hold panda soft toy to 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)
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)
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)
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)
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-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 media in Ocean Park during a greeting ceremony in Hong Kong, Saturday, Feb. 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Chan Long Hei)
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 suggestions via the park’s website, and the cubs’ names will be announced in the first half of the year.
Visitors can see the cubs for five hours daily or can pay 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (about $190) to see them before the park opens.
With the cubs’ birth, Hong Kong now has the largest number of pandas in captivity outside of mainland China.
More Stories
Coverd and Albert Wang: Why the Next Chapter of Credit Card Rewards May Be Written Around Everyday Spending
The modern loyalty program occupies a curious place on corporate balance sheets, recorded as a liability that many issuers quietly...
What to Expect from UK Software Development Firms
In all industries, companies are making efforts to adopt digital solutions, automate processes, migrate to the cloud, and operate with...
Austen Hacker: From Concert Pianist to Pharmacy Leader
Success does not always follow a straight line, for Austen Hacker, the path to leadership in pharmacy began behind a...
Jonny Dodge: The Superyacht Influencer and Questions Over Mother City Capital
He has been called the “Superyacht Influencer” by Forbes, featured in Bloomberg, GQ, Tatler and Robb Report, and commands a...
6 Steps to Prepare for Making Tax Digital for Income Tax
Making Tax Digital (MTD) was first introduced by HM Revenue and Customs as part of a wider plan to modernise...
Fintech Funding Fuels Smoother Payments for Digital Leisure
Many UK entrepreneurs notice how fintech payment startups are reshaping everyday spending on digital leisure. This is allowing quicker and...
