The two giant pandas set to arrive in Hong Kong from mainland China will be “young adults” and fit to reproduce, the city leader has revealed, describing the bears as “agile”, “gentle” and “adorable”.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who will arrive in the city after concluding his trip to Sichuan on Tuesday, said giant pandas generally reached adulthood at the age of five. He added that the pair coming would be aged between five and eight.
“The male panda weighs 120kg and has been described as agile, clever and active, while the female is around 100kg and is gentle and adorable, with a mild temperament,” Lee said.
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He said the pair were currently being prepared for their trip to Hong Kong but would first need to undergo 60 days of quarantine – 30 days on the mainland and another 30 in Hong Kong – before they could meet the public.
Lee said he previously told mainland authorities he hoped the new pandas would be able to produce offspring in the city to bring “even more joy and warmth” to the public.
He thanked the National Forestry and Grassland Administration for granting his wishes.
“During my discussions with the experts, I learned that the pandas’ breeding period is quite short,” Lee added.
“Therefore, our experts will closely monitor potential breeding opportunities and once they see a window, appropriate measures to facilitate breeding will be made.”
According to Ocean Park, giant pandas reach sexual maturity at about 7.5 years old and they will attract their mate with scent-marking and bleating calls. Gestation normally takes about 95 to 160 days.
Lee added the goal was to have the pandas in the city by National Day on October 1.
The two new pandas will be the third pair Beijing has gifted to Hong Kong since 1999.
Like the previous bears, the new giant pandas are going to be housed at Ocean Park.
Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said mainland and Hong Kong authorities were closely working with the park for care arrangements
“Ocean Park will make four preparations: first they will send staff here to Sichuan to undergo preliminary training and familiarise themselves with the panda’s habits,” he said.
The park would also upgrade existing facilities by adding more plants, climbing structures and other enrichment elements to their enclosure, among others.
The team was also considering installing additional camera equipment to enable real-time sharing of the pandas’ activities with the general public.
Bamboo grown in Guangdong or at Ocean Park will be shipped to Sichuan for the two pandas to get accustomed to what they are going to be fed at their next home.
Yeung said Ocean Park would also support medical check-up procedures and work closely with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department to ensure a smooth transition.
The chief executive led a delegation to Sichuan on Sunday to discuss preparations for the transfer of the pandas gifted to the city by Beijing as a part of the 27th handover anniversary celebrations.
The delegation included Yeung and Director of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Mickey Lai Kin-ming, and Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee.
Communist Party secretary of Sichuan Wang Xiaohui met the delegation on Monday and said the central government’s move to give an additional pair of giant pandas to Hong Kong showed its care and support.
“Sichuan is the hometown of giant pandas, and the pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government all come from Sichuan,” Wang said. “Giant pandas have become special envoys and a bond of friendship between the people of Sichuan and Hong Kong.
“Under the unified arrangements of the central government, we will fully cooperate and make all necessary preparations to ensure that the giant pandas can soon arrive and meet with the people of Hong Kong.”
Wang also said he hoped both sides could fully leverage the mechanism of the Sichuan-Hong Kong cooperation to deepen and expand comprehensive collaboration in areas, such as economic and trade investment, cultural tourism, education and technology, financial services and logistics.
Apart from panda arrangements, Lee’s delegation also visited the Sichuan HKJC Olympic School – an institution built with funds from the Hong Kong Jockey Club – during their trip.
Lee said the school had become an important training base for Sichuan’s competitive sport since it opened in 2021.
He also mentioned a cooperation mechanism between Hong Kong and Sichuan established in 2018 and said the city had since become the province’s largest source of foreign investment.
Lee said he met with Sichuan-based Hong Kong businesses and young people to understand their work, studies and living situations, as they were an important force driving cooperation between the two places.
Additional reporting by Oscar Liu
More from South China Morning Post:
- John Lee hopes Hong Kong can welcome giant pandas by National Day on October 1
- What gets 30kg of plants, biscuits and other greens a day, and could have a digital upgrade?
- Hong Kong leader heading to Sichuan reserve after Beijing gives city 2 pandas
- Panda prep: Hong Kong tourism chief leads team to Sichuan as city set to welcome new bears
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