HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong welcomed the delivery of its first regionally born big pandas on Thursday, with their mom changing into the world’s oldest first-time mom of its form on file, the theme park that homes them introduced.
Ying Ying, the mom, gave delivery to the twins — one male and one feminine — at Ocean Park only a day earlier than she turned 19 years previous, the park mentioned in an announcement.
She and her accomplice Le Le are the second pair of pandas gifted by China to Hong Kong because the former British colony returned to China’s rule in 1997.
Pandas are broadly thought-about because the nation’s unofficial nationwide mascot and China’s big panda mortgage program with abroad zoos has lengthy been referred to as a device of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy.
Ocean Park mentioned within the assertion that enormous pandas have a “notoriously troublesome time reproducing, particularly as they age” and panda being pregnant just isn’t readily detectable.
Though Ying Ying began exhibiting signs together with decreased urge for food, elevated want for relaxation time and modifications in hormonal ranges in late July, her being pregnant was solely confirmed on Sunday. On Wednesday, her care staff observed Ying Ying’s labor signs and her amniotic fluid broke at night time. After over 5 hours of labor, the infants have been safely delivered Thursday morning, the park mentioned.
“Each cubs are presently very fragile and wish time to stabilize, particularly the feminine cub who has a decrease physique temperature, weaker cries, and decrease meals consumption after delivery,” the park mentioned. Guests should anticipate just a few months for his or her public debut.
Ocean Park Corp. chairman Paulo Pong thanked the native animal care staff, in addition to consultants from mainland China for his or her partnership and help through the years.
“The delivery is a real rarity, particularly contemplating Ying Ying is the oldest big panda on file to have efficiently given delivery for the primary time,” Pong mentioned.
Hong Kong chief John Lee additionally expressed his gratitude to the central authorities for gifting the pandas to the monetary hub in 2007, saying it confirmed Beijing’s care and help for the town.
Hong Kong has its personal governing and judicial system and China authored a 2020 nationwide safety regulation that has been used to prosecute pro-democracy activists.
In July, Lee introduced that Hong Kong would obtain a 3rd pair of pandas from China. The pair is anticipated to reach this 12 months.
The late first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in 1999. Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The common lifespan for a panda within the wild is eighteen to twenty years, whereas in captivity it’s 30 years, in accordance with Guinness World Data.
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