Hong Kong celebrated a momentous occasion on Thursday with the birth of its first locally-born giant panda twins. Their mother, Ying Ying, set a new record as the world’s oldest first-time mother of her kind, as announced by Ocean Park, the theme park that houses the pandas.
Ying Ying, who gave birth to the twins—a male and a female—did so just a day before turning 19 years old. Her partner, Le Le, and she form the second pair of pandas gifted to Hong Kong by China since the former British colony’s return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Pandas are often seen as China’s unofficial national mascots, and the country’s giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.
Challenges of panda pregnancy
Ocean Park highlighted the difficulties involved in panda reproduction, especially as they age, making this birth even more significant.
“Panda pregnancies are notoriously difficult to detect,” Ocean Park stated. Ying Ying exhibited symptoms such as decreased appetite, increased need for rest, and hormonal changes in late July, but her pregnancy was only confirmed on Sunday. By Wednesday night, her care team noticed labor symptoms, and her amniotic fluid broke. After more than five hours of labor, the twins were safely delivered on Thursday morning.
A fragile beginning
“Both cubs are currently very fragile and need time to stabilize, especially the female cub who has a lower body temperature, weaker cries, and lower food intake after birth,” the park mentioned. Visitors will have to wait a few months before the cubs make their public debut.
Ocean Park Corp. chairman Paulo Pong expressed his gratitude to the local animal care team and experts from mainland China for their assistance over the years. “The birth is a true rarity, especially considering Ying Ying is the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time,” Pong said.
Hong Kong leader John Lee also thanked the central government for gifting the pandas to the financial hub in 2007, stating it demonstrated Beijing’s care and support for the city. Hong Kong, which has its own governing and judicial system, saw China author a 2020 national security law that has been used to prosecute pro-democracy activists.
Future additions
In July, Lee announced that Hong Kong would receive a third pair of pandas from China, expected to arrive this year. The first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in 1999. Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, holds the record as the world’s oldest panda to have lived in captivity. According to Guinness World Records, the average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it’s 30 years.
This historic birth not only brings joy to Hong Kong but also highlights the collaborative efforts in wildlife conservation and the strong ties between Hong Kong and mainland China.