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China pandas 'doing well' in Hong Kong
2007-06-30
Two giant pandas given to Hong Kong by Beijing to mark the end of its first decade under Chinese rule are in good health and adapting well to their new home, officials said Saturday. Ying Ying and Le Le arrived in Hong Kong two months ago, but have been kept in quarantine and hidden from the public until Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the handover. Allan Zeman, head of the Hong Kong theme park that will house the two cuddly creatures, said they were already making themselves at home. "Ying Ying is pretty aggressive, while Le Le is more passive," he said after a formal presentation ceremony here Saturday. "But they can be pretty destructive. Every time we plant something for them in the giant panda habitat they take it up and eat it." Zeman said Ying Ying and Le Le had been handpicked and had undergone DNA testing before being brought to Hong Kong in the hope that they would breed successfully. They join An An and Jia Jia, the two pandas given to Hong Kong in 1999, in Ocean Park's giant panda habitat, which has been refurbished in honour of their arrival. "Compared to An An and Jia Jia's old home this looks like a super luxury condominium," said Zeman, head of Ocean Park. The two younger pandas arrived in Hong Kong on April 26 and were christened Le Le, which means happiness, and Ying Ying, or grace and abundance. The giant panda, China's most endearing symbol, is one of the world's most endangered species. Experts estimate that there are about 1,600 pandas living in the wild, while more than 200 live in captivity. China's State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan formally marked the panda handover Saturday by cutting a golden ribbon before going to visit Le Le and Ying Ying in their new home. Hong Kong's Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui thanked the Chinese government for the gift. "I believe Ying Ying and Le Le will bring about what their names suggest, and that is, prosperity, joy and a thriving economy to the Hong Kong people," he said.
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