The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government has joyfully announced the birth of twin panda cubs at Ocean Park early Thursday morning.
The adorable pair, consisting of a female and a male, are the offspring of Ying Ying and Le Le, pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government in 2007. The successful natural mating of Ying Ying and Le Le took place in March at Ocean Park.
After a five-month gestation period, Ying Ying gave birth to the twins at 2:05 a.m. and 3:27 a.m. on Thursday morning.
A dedicated team of animal care professionals, along with experts from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, are diligently caring for Ying Ying and her newborn cubs to ensure their health and well-being.
Ying Ying and Le Le represent the second pair of pandas gifted by the central government to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. The first pair, An An and Jia Jia, were gifted in 1999. Sadly, Jia Jia passed away in 2016 at the age of 38, and An An died in 2022 at 35.
Both Ying Ying and Le Le were born in 2005 and have been cherished members of the Ocean Park family.
John Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR, expressed heartfelt gratitude to the central government for the panda gift, highlighting it as a symbol of care and support for Hong Kong. He also commended Ocean Park's team for their meticulous care of the pandas and the professional support from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, which has been pivotal in the successful birth of the twin cubs.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
