HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s youngest celebrities, twin 6-month-old panda cubs, made their first public appearance before adoring fans Sunday.
The cubs born Aug. 15 are Hong Kong’s first locally born giant panda cubs. They live at the Ocean Park theme park along with their parents and two other giant pandas that arrived from mainland China last year.
Crowds flocked to the park Sunday to glimpse the pandas inside their enclosure. Their caretakers were at hand as the pandas climbed up a tree trunk or slept on a swing.
A large selection of panda-themed souvenirs was available.
The cubs don’t have names yet — they are being referred to as “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother.” A public competition to name them was launched Saturday following an event attended by Hong Kong leader John Lee and other officials. Residents can submit their suggestions via the park’s website, and the cubs’ names will be announced in the first half of the year.
Visitors can see the cubs for five hours daily or can pay 1,500 Hong Kong dollars (about $190) to see them before the park opens.
With the cubs’ birth, Hong Kong now has the largest number of pandas in captivity outside of mainland China.