The two giant pandas gifted to Hong Kong by the central government — lively An An and quiet Ke Ke — are adapting to their new home and will meet the public in mid-December, park officials said on Thursday.
The pandas’ caretakers are communicating with the pair primarily in Cantonese, together with Mandarin and Sichuanese — the languages they are familiar with from their birthplace on the Chinese mainland — and hoping they will be able to understand multiple languages soon.
Having landed in the city on Sept 26, the two pandas are undergoing a 30-day quarantine at the Ocean Park, home to the city’s four other pandas.
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Howard Chuk Hau-chung, head of zoological operations and conservation at Ocean Park, told reporters on Thursday afternoon that the two pandas are currently eating and behaving normally, and their condition is stable.
Although the exact date will depend on how quickly they adapt, Chuk believes Hong Kong residents will be allowed to view the two pandas in mid-December.
Currently, caretakers feed An An and Ke Ke four meals day — much the same as they had in Sichuan —, and they are getting accustomed to bamboo from Guangdong province. Veterinarians monitor the pair’s food intake and bowel movements daily. After completing the month-long quarantine, the pair will receive a comprehensive physical examination.
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Matt Leung, assistant curator of Ocean Park’s animal care team, noted that An An, the male, is lively and loves to explore. After being fed once or twice, he quickly formed a bond with the keepers, showing positive interactions with them, Leung added.
On the other hand, Leung described the female giant panda Ke Ke as a “little princess”. She is more sensitive and tends to stay alone, being wary of new things, and she feels uneasy when interacting with new keepers, said Leung.
Leung added that the relationship between the two pandas and the keepers has become closer. Caretakers call An An’s name in Mandarin and Ke Ke’s in Sichuan dialect, and many other communications are in Cantonese.
In future, Ocean Park staff will use Mandarin, Cantonese and English to give them instructions, hoping to help them adapt to Hong Kong’s multilingual environment, according to Leung.
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Another assistant curator, Mandy Tang, said An An is 30 kilograms heavier than Ke Ke and has long limbs, while Ke Ke is smaller and rounder.
A naming campaign for the two pandas will run until Oct 27. The public can submit names together with 100-word explanations.
Additionally, a panda-themed drawing competition organized by the park will commence on Oct 21 and run through Nov 8.
