Latest news with #ElderSister
South China Morning Post
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's panda cubs naming contest draws over 35,700 entries from excited fans
A naming contest for Hong Kong's giant panda twin cubs drew more than 35,700 entries before the period for submissions closed earlier this month. Ocean Park said that it was 'blown away' by the 'overwhelming' number of name suggestions received. 'Your care and excitement for these locally born panda cubs truly warmed our hearts,' the park said. Results of the competition will be announced in the first half of this year, with winners notified in due course. Ocean Park added the nicknames 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother' would be kept as usual. The Mandarin pinyin of the selected Chinese names would be adopted as the English names of the twin cubs. Ying Ying became the oldest panda mum in captivity when she gave birth to the cubs on August 15 last year. The journey to parenthood for Ying Ying and Le Le took more than 10 years, with multiple phantom pregnancies and miscarriages. Visitors can see the twin cubs at the park's 'Giant Panda Adventure' attraction following their public debut last month. Last year, authorities held another naming competition for two pandas gifted by Beijing, drawing more than 22,600 submissions. Quiz time How many entries were received in the naming contest? When were the giant panda twin cubs born? What are the nicknames given to the twin cubs? Where can visitors see the panda twin cubs? Ocean Park says competition results will be announced in the first half of this year. Photo: Eugene Lee Suggested answers More than 35,700 August 15, 2024 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother' at the 'Giant Panda Adventure' attraction in Ocean Park
South China Morning Post
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Write a funny caption for this panda, living its best life
Hong Kong's twin panda cubs made their highly anticipated first public appearance last month. The cubs, 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother', have been spending time exploring their new enclosure at Ocean Park's Giant Panda Adventure since mid-January. Staff writers Send us a funny caption by filling out this form . The deadline is at 12pm on March 12. We'll publish the best ones next week. Last week's top caption 'Green capybaras' spotted near a lake in Argentina. Photo: AFP Wong Chun-hei (aged 10), Yaumati Catholic Primary School: New week, new colour! This green will protect us since it matches the river.
South China Morning Post
08-03-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Naming contest for Hong Kong's panda twin cubs draws 35,700 entries
A naming contest for Hong Kong's giant panda twin cubs received more than 35,700 entries after submissions closed on Friday. Advertisement Ocean Park said on Saturday that it was 'blown away' by the 'overwhelming' number of name suggestions received. 'Your care and excitement for these locally born panda cubs truly warmed our hearts,' the park said. Results of the competition will be announced in the first half of this year, with winners notified in due course. Ocean Park added the nicknames 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother' would be kept as usual, while the Mandarin pinyin of the selected Chinese names would be adopted as the English names of the twin cubs. Visitors at Ocean Park in Wong Chuk Hang. Photo: May Tse The twin cubs were born at the park on August 15 last year by 'Ying Ying', a giant panda gifted by the central government in 2007.
Boston Globe
15-02-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Hong Kong residents compete to name twin panda cubs who just turned 6 months old
The pair, currently identified as the 'Elder Sister' and the 'Little Brother,' will make their public debut on Sunday and meet 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). During a media preview session on Saturday, the male cub laid on a swing playing with a tree stick before a carer placed him on a slide. The female cub explored the enclosure before climbing onto a tree. Advertisement The panda carers said the female cub seemed more active than her male twin. She loves climbing the tree inside the enclosure and resting there while her brother likes to wander around and play with the plants. The male cub has been marked with two purple food-coloring spots on its back to distinguish it from his sister. The birth of the baby pandas last year made their mother Ying Ying the world's oldest first-time panda mom. Their popularity on social media also raised hopes for the city's tourism boost. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the panda craze to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the 'panda economy.' Ocean Park's chairman Paulo Pong told reporters on Saturday that the park already saw income increases over the Christmas period and Lunar New Year holiday, alongside an uptake in overseas tourists, after the newly arrived pandas from mainland China started to greet the public. Advertisement 'We're turning the page and we believe the pandas are definitely helping the income of the park,' he said. But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive. Ocean Park recorded a deficit of 71.6 million Hong Kong dollars ($9.2 million) last financial year, and in 2020 required a government relief fund to stay afloat. Observers are watching if taking care of six pandas will add to its burden or give it a chance to revive its business. Pong said raising pandas was about animal conservation and education, instead of 'just a money exercise.' Pandas are considered China's unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing's soft-power diplomacy.
South China Morning Post
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's giant panda twin cubs set to make public debut on February 16
Published: 12:00pm, 7 Feb 2025 Panda Watch is a blog by the Post that tracks the latest on the baby panda twins – the first to be born in Hong Kong – until they are ready to meet the public. This will be the last issue of the blog before the twins' debut on February 16. To read our previous blog entries, click here . Hong Kong's giant panda twin cubs will make their highly anticipated first public appearance on February 16, with Ocean Park getting them used to having humans in their presence. The cubs, 'Elder Sister' and 'Younger Brother', have been spending time exploring their new enclosure at the park's Giant Panda Adventure since mid-January. While Younger Brother seems to have chosen a log as his favourite spot in the enclosure, Elder Sister enjoys lazing and napping on a fork of branches on a tree. As part of their first Lunar New Year, the twins were given a specially made 'candy box' – a large round container with several compartments, each containing a different treat or toy. Their enclosure was also decorated with fai chun decorations, which contained phrases with panda puns and auspicious messages denoting good luck and prosperity.
