In a historic event for Hong Kong, a giant panda named Ying Ying gave birth to two cubs—a male and a female—on Thursday at Ocean Park. This marks the first time that giant panda twins have been born in the city, an event that has thrilled both the park and the public.
“Ying Ying, the city’s beloved giant panda, gave birth to a female and a male on August 15, 2024, just one day before her 19th birthday,” Ocean Park announced in a statement. This birth is particularly remarkable as Ying Ying is the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time.
Ying Ying and Le Le, the father of the twins, were a gift to Hong Kong from Beijing in 2007. The pair successfully mated in March at Ocean Park, leading to the arrival of these rare cubs.
The mother and her newborns will be closely monitored by the park’s veterinary teams and experts from the Giant Panda Conservation and Research Center. The Hong Kong government also emphasized the significance of this event, given the challenges pandas face in breeding.
Giant pandas are known for their reluctance to mate, a factor that has contributed to the declining population of this endangered species. Currently, an estimated 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, making these births even more precious.
