Birth of panda twins brings double joy
Bonds between Hong Kong, Sichuan province strengthened through animal exchanges, post-earthquake support
Improving understanding
Shenshuping Panda Base said protection of the giant pandas is the primary goal, rather than using them for entertainment value.
He, the base director, said its primary aim is to promote scientific understanding through various channels — such as official media and popular science videos — to enhance the public's understanding of giant pandas and the conservation efforts surrounding them.
Having worked in panda-related fields for many years, He said he is pleased to see ardent fans of the animals become ambassadors for them by voluntarily disseminating knowledge. These supporters are deeply engaged in the panda online community and the giant panda base, and help correct misunderstandings about the animal, He added.
The iPanda channel, China's first giant panda livestreaming platform, has more than 100 fixed cameras that showcase the daily lives of giant pandas around the clock.
Launched in August 2013, the channel quickly built an online panda community, amassing over 56 million active users worldwide including in Germany, Spain, France, Russia and Japan.
Guo Yanan, deputy director of iPanda, credited the success of the channel to the media operations team and the giant panda caretaker team, which have been involved since the channel's inception.
The team has established detailed guidelines that must be followed when installing livestreaming cameras in panda enclosures. For example, power cables and network cables must be positioned carefully to ensure there are no safety risks to the pandas.
The placement angles of the cameras also need to be adjusted regularly, given the varying conditions at each base.
Hong Kong's new giant panda twins are expected to meet the public in the first quarter of next year when they will be about six months old, Ocean Park caretakers said.
The two have not been officially named yet, but the female cub, is nicknamed Gaje, "elder sister" in Cantonese, and the male Sailou, or "little brother".
The birth of the twins has cemented the strong bonds between Hong Kong and Sichuan, which are expected to grow and strengthen along with the two cubs.
