Giant panda duo to be sent to Hong Kong

CHENGDU -- Two giant pandas are scheduled to be sent from the Chinese mainland to Hong Kong on Thursday, joining two other pairs of giant pandas already living in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The duo, named An An and Ke Ke, will settle at Ocean Park Hong Kong, according to a deal signed by the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda and Ocean Park Hong Kong.

An An, a male, and Ke Ke, a female, were both born in June 2019. They are currently in good health and are under quarantine in isolation at the center's Dujiangyan base, according to the center.

The two pandas are genetically unrelated, but have complementary characters, said Li Desheng, deputy director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.

Experts and keepers from the center have conducted deep exchanges with four keepers from Ocean Park Hong Kong, helping them to better know the temperament and habits of the two pandas and build trust with the pair in advance.

The center said it will send a keeper and a veterinarian to accompany the giant pandas on the trip and stay with them for a while in Hong Kong, to help the pandas become familiar with their new home and adapt to it as quickly as possible.

Currently, the center and Ocean Park Hong Kong are making all the necessary arrangements to ensure the safety and health of the pair on their journey to Hong Kong.