“Born in Hong Kong” Giant Panda Twins Expected to Meet the Public Around Chinese New Year

On October 14, 2023, Hong Kong Ocean Park held a press conference to share updates on the growth of the giant panda twins born two months ago. Zhu Xiaozhong, the park’s animal and conservation supervisor, announced that the panda cubs have strong vocalizations and have developed their black-and-white fur. They are expected to meet the public around the Chinese New Year.

The giant panda “Yingying” gave birth to a pair of twins on August 15 at Hong Kong Ocean Park. Over the past two months, under the care of the park’s animal care team and experts from the China Giant Panda Protection and Research Center, the two panda cubs have been thriving. The sister, who weighed 122 grams at birth, has grown to 2.7 kilograms, while her brother has increased from 112 grams to 2.54 kilograms.

Born In Hong Kong Giant Panda Twins Expected To Meet The Public Around Chinese New Year

Reflecting on the day of Yingying’s delivery, Zhu recalled that the prenatal ultrasound only showed one fetus. After the sister was born, experts continued to monitor Yingying closely and suspected she might have twins. To everyone’s surprise, the brother was born just a few hours later, and the entire team was thrilled. Looking back, they still feel excitement about the event. In the future, the park aims to optimize its plans, including live-streaming the twins’ activities and researching better ways to share their growth updates.

Yin Manping, a senior supervisor in the animal department, explained the meticulous process of preparing milk for the panda cubs. “From mixing, filtering, heating, to testing the temperature with the back of the hand, each step is done with great care.” Currently, the two cubs have three meals a day, spaced eight hours apart. After feeding, the caretakers help them burp to release excess air and prevent vomiting. They also closely monitor the health of the cubs and meticulously record all observations.

Meanwhile, Yingying also requires careful attention after giving birth. Assistant Curator Hu Yiqi mentioned that Yingying initially had a poor appetite due to extreme fatigue but is quite picky. The team has specially prepared electrolyte water, hoping its sweetness will encourage her to drink more. Yingying’s condition has significantly improved, and her food intake has returned to about 70-80% of her usual amount, allowing her to engage in regular activities. The team will continue to closely monitor her condition and provide daily care, including measuring her temperature and weight.

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