Giant panda pair gifted to Hong Kong come out of quarantine

Ocean Park's animal care team shares photos of giant pandas An An and Ke Ke on Oct. 3, 2024 in Hong Kong, south China. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

HONG KONG, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The pair of giant pandas that arrived in Hong Kong on Sept. 26 have gone through a 30-day quarantine and moved into the exhibit area on Saturday, said Ocean Park Hong Kong.

The amusement park said the health conditions of the pair, named An An and Ke Ke, are up to the standards stipulated by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government. They need to spend at least 30 days familiarizing themselves with the new surroundings before their public debut.

A video footage released by the park showed that male panda An An sniffed around in the exhibit area, while the female Ke Ke looked out the glass window before climbing on a chair-shaped wooden pillar.

Pictures of the pair moving into the new area created a social media buzz, with internet users rejoicing over the news that they are "out and about."

An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas the HKSAR has received as gifts from the central government. A city-wide campaign to come up with new names for them began on Oct. 2 and will last through Sunday.