Ocean Park’s giant pandas, Ying Ying and Le Le, are to take part in the National Giant Panda Breeding Program.
The National Giant Panda Breeding Programme was launched in 1986 in Wolong, China. In 2014, 30 giant panda cubs were born under this programme. Ocean Park’s Le Le, born in 2005, was one of the early successes.
Commenting on the news, Mr. Matthias Li, Deputy Chief Executive at Ocean Park, said, “We are pleased that Ying Ying and Le Le can be a part of Wolong’s breeding programme. We hope that they will be able to contribute to the propagation of the overall giant panda population, and to take up the role as conservation ambassadors to educate and inspire people towards understanding and protecting this precious species and their living habitats. We have already devised a detailed plan to ensure Ying Ying’s wellbeing during her stay in Sichuan at the panda base for a few months, including arranging the Park’s giant panda husbandry and veterinary teams to accompany Ying Ying to Sichuan and support her with the best possible care.”
Mr. Zhang He-Min, Director of China Conservation and Research Centre for Giant Panda, added, “We are thankful to Ocean Park’s animal care and veterinary teams for their dedicated work in supporting the giant panda breeding efforts in Hong Kong over the past few years.”
