香港隆重欢迎了北京赠送的一对新大熊猫安安与康康的到来，并为此举办了一场盛大的欢迎仪式，旨在提振当地的旅游业。这对成双入对的国宝级动物成为自1997年香港回归中国以来，第三组从大陆派遣到此的大熊猫家族成员。
紧随上一组大熊猫英英一个月前产下双胞胎、创下全球首胎母亲最年长记录的脚步后，安安与康康的抵达更为香港带来了新的活力。这对新伙伴使得海洋公园中的大熊猫族群数量增加至六只，其中包括了英英的孩子们共同的父亲乐乐。海洋公园董事长庞景仪表示，这将开启港岛动物园历史上熊猫三代同堂的新篇章。
特别行政区行政长官李家超详细介绍了两只大熊猫的特性：安安是一名活力十足、聪明敏捷的5岁雄性大熊猫；而康康作为一只同样只有五岁的雌性熊猫，擅长攀爬且拥有着可爱的外表与温和的性格。新入驻的成员们将面临两个月的隔离期，以便适应新的生活环境。李家超期待在中期十二月左右时，公众能有幸得见这两位新熊。
针对十月即将开展的一系列活动，政府邀请市民提供反映大熊猫特质的新名字。对此，旅游业的代表乐观预测，六只大熊猫的存在将会显著提升香港游客的数量，期望借助“熊猫经济”的机遇，捕捉这一历史性的时机所带来的商业机会。
大熊猫被视为中国的象征性国宝，在与中国境外动物园的合作中，北京常以此作为传播其软实力外交的一部分。这些珍稀动物仅栖息于中国西南部地区，面临因开发活动而减少的威胁。
然而，饲养大熊猫需要巨大的开销。位于芬兰的一家动物园与中方达成协议，提前八年将租借的两只大熊猫送回中国，原因是随着游客数量下滑，该设施难以承担起照料的成本。对此，香港海洋公园自1999年起便开始接纳大熊猫——最早的一对“安安”与“嘉嘉”，其在特区回归后不久即抵达这片金融中心。
嘉嘉于2016年去世时享年38岁，成为全球首屈一指的在圈养环境中寿命最长的大熊猫。根据吉尼斯世界纪录，野生大熊猫的平均寿命为18至20年，而圈养环境下则能活到30岁左右。
新闻来源：www.abcnews.go.com
原文地址：A new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing arrives in Hong Kong
新闻日期：2024-09-26
原文摘要：
Hong Kong welcomed a new pair of giant pandas gifted by Beijing on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, raising hopes for a boost to the city's tourism. An An and Ke Ke are the third pair of giant pandas to be sent to the city from mainland China since the former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Their arrival came after their new neighbor, Ying Ying, gave birth to twins last month and became the world’s oldest first-time panda mother on record. The newcomers bring the Ocean Park panda population to six, including the father of the twins, Le Le. Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-Yee noted that would make three generations of giant pandas at the popular Hong Kong zoo and aquarium attraction. Chief Executive John Lee said An An is a 5-year-old male panda who is agile, intelligent and active, while Ke Ke, a 5-year-old female, is good at climbing, cute and has a gentle temperament. The new arrivals will be in quarantine for two months to adapt to their new home. Lee expressed hope that the public could meet the new bears in mid-December. In October, the government will invite residents to propose new names that showcase the pandas’ characteristics. Tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the potential impact of housing six pandas, hoping it will boost visitor numbers in Hong Kong. Officials have encouraged businesses to capitalize on the popularity of the new bears and newborn cubs to seize opportunities in what some lawmakers have dubbed the “panda economy." Pandas are considered China’s unofficial national mascot. The country's giant panda loan program with overseas zoos has long been seen as a tool of Beijing’s soft-power diplomacy. Giant pandas are only found in China's southwest and their population is under threat from development. But caring for pandas in captivity is expensive. A zoo in Finland agreed with Chinese authorities to return two loaned giant pandas to China more than eight years ahead of schedule because they were too costly for the facility to maintain amid declining visitors. Hong Kong's Ocean Park has been hosting pandas since 1999, when the first pair, An An and Jia Jia, arrived in the financial hub shortly after the former British colony returned to China. Jia Jia, who died at 38 in 2016, is the world’s oldest-ever panda to have lived in captivity. The average lifespan for a panda in the wild is 18 to 20 years, while in captivity it’s 30 years, according to the Guinness World Records.
