By Joyce Zhou and Lam Yik
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Pandas An An and Ke Ke, a gift from Beijing to Hong Kong, arrived in the Chinese territory on Thursday to much fanfare, with officials welcoming them at the city’s international airport with a red carpet on the tarmac and panda toys.
The Sichuan-born male and female will increase the total number of pandas to six, the highest ever in the financial hub. Some lawmakers called on the government to use the animals to boost tourism and create a “panda economy” by building themed promotions and infrastructure.
The five-year-old pair will be housed at the city’s Ocean Park theme park and remain out of the public eye until December, officials said, so they can get used to their new habitat.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said the pandas would soon receive new names through a public contest organised by the government.
Workers at Ocean Park have prepared a giant enclosure for the new arrivals complete with bamboo leaves planted in Guangdong province.
An An and Ke Ke’s arrival comes just after resident giant panda Ying Ying gave birth to twin cubs ahead of her 19th birthday. She was the oldest panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time, Ocean Park said.
The cubs are still under intensive care and are expected to make their public debut in a few months.
(Writing by Farah Master; editing by Miral Fahmy)
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