‘Agile’ and ‘adorable’ giant pandas set for Hong Kong will be young, fit to reproduce: John Lee
- Male and female pandas being prepared for trip to Hong Kong but first need to undergo 60 days of quarantine before meeting public, he says
Two giant pandas mainland China is giving Hong Kong will be young adults and around the right age to reproduce, the city’s leader has revealed, describing the bears as “agile”, “gentle” and “adorable”.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu gave further details about the pair set to become the latest addition to the city’s tourist attractions as he wrapped up a visit to a conservation base for the vulnerable animals in Sichuan province on Tuesday.
Lee, accompanied by the tourism chief and the head of Ocean Park where the bears will live, said the pair would be aged between five and eight. The animals reach adulthood at five and sexual maturity at around 7½, so there is a good chance Hong Kong could welcome its first homebred pandas within a few years – a goal that has eluded the city for a quarter-century.
“The male panda weighs 120kg [264lbs] 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.
The pair were being prepared for their trip but first needed to undergo 30 days of quarantine at home and another 30 in Hong Kong before they could be introduced to the public, he added.
