A pair of giant pandas will be sent to Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of its return to the motherland.

"They need one or two months to adapt to the Hong Kong environment before the anniversary celebrations on July 1," Cao Qingyao, a State Forestry Administration (SFA) spokesperson, said yesterday.

The young pandas were chosen from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong in Southwest China's Sichuan Province.

Both pandas, which are yet to be given names, were born in August 2005. The male weighs 60 kilograms while the female weighs 61 kilograms.

Naming contest

The two giant pandas that will be given by the central government to Hong Kong to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its return. The animals have yet to be officially named, so are still referred to as No 610 and No 606.

The SFA said the naming of the pandas would be left up to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government.

HKSAR Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui said a public naming competition would be officially announced by the end of the month.

Calling it "a dream come true for Ocean Park and Hong Kong people", Chairman of Ocean Park Allan Zeman said it was an honor to be chosen as caretakers of the national treasure and was excited about the arrival of the two baby pandas.

At a press conference he thanked the Central People's Government and SAR government for their support. Hong Kong would continue to work closely with the research centre in Wolong.

At Ocean Park, pandas have always been one of the star attractions, he said.

When the new pair arrive in Ocean Park in May they will be temporarily housed in the Great Panda Habitat.

Zhang Hemin, head of the Wolong center, said the pandas get along with each after.

"They have the potential to be sexually matched," Cao said.

"But because they would not become sexually mature until 2008, it is not possible for them to move into their new house in Ocean Park with a new-born baby."

The other couple

The new pair, however, would be separated from the other two pandas, An An and Jia Jia.

The couple, the first pandas given to Hong Kong by the central government in 1999, will spend their rest of life in Hong Kong, Cao said.

"I hope An An and Jia Jia, with the new pair, will bring much joy and happiness to Hong Kong people," he said.

Another two pandas especially chosen last year to go to Taiwan were in good health and waiting to be allowed onto the island.

The SFA said it hoped Taiwan would take an open attitude so the pandas could travel to their new home as early as possible so the public could see them.

The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found only in China.

Last year was a good year for giant panda reproduction.

The 217 giant pandas that have been bred in captivity in China gave birth to 34 cubs through artificial insemination last year, according to SFA figures. Thirty of the cubs survived. Both the number of cub births and the survival rate set new records.

(China Daily 03/21/2007 page3)