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Wynna Wong

Panda Watch is a weekly blog by the Post that tracks the latest on the baby panda twins – the first to be born in Hong Kong – until they are ready to meet the public. To read our previous blog entries, click here.
Hong Kong’s panda cubs will soon turn three months old, reaching a new milestone and setting the stage for celebrations.
The pair, affectionately known as “Elder Sister” and “Younger Brother”, continue to capture the hearts of locals and panda enthusiasts alike.
One of the latest Instagram posts by Ocean Park shows mother Ying Ying cuddling “Younger Brother” and trying to relax, but the cub squirms around in his mother’s arms, delighting internet users who called for a video of mum with “Elder Sister” as well.
Another clip shows “Younger Brother” clinging onto his sister after she returns from a session with Ying Ying, which the park explained was due to the mother’s scent still lingering on the body of the elder twin.
The cubs’ eyes have now fully opened, but the pandas still rely on formula, hand fed by caretakers, for sustenance.
Born on August 15 at Ocean Park, the twins are now entering an exciting phase of their development, and expectations are high regarding their growth and behaviour.
At three months old, panda cubs are typically more active and alert as they begin to be able to crawl slowly around their enclosures and explore their surroundings.
This stage is also crucial for their physical development, as they strengthen their muscles and coordination, while eyesight and hearing improve.

Observers can expect to see the Hong Kong twins engaging in playful antics around the four-month mark, pushing against each other and perhaps even attempting to climb on their mother’s back.
And at six months, the pandas will start being able to eat bamboo before becoming fully weaned at around nine months of age. They will become fully independent when they reach two years.
Panda cubs have shown remarkable growth at the three-month mark in other parts of the world.
For example, cubs Rui Bao and Hui Bao, born in South Korea last year, were becoming more independent and had also begun teething.
Teething may be a rudimentary part of development, but panda teeth themselves are a hot topic of dental research for humans. Pandas have self-regenerating teeth that can heal when chipped or damaged.
Born at just over 100 grams, Hong Kong’s panda twins may weigh anywhere between 5kg and 6kg at three months, according to the experience elsewhere. In their last weight announcement when the cubs were two months old, “Elder Sister” had already reached 2.7kg while “Younger Brother” weighed 2.54kg.
Some pandas begin to crawl slowly at three months. They start learning to eat bamboo at around the six-month mark.

Ocean Park announced on Thursday a “roaring” event on November 23 and 24 to celebrate the cubs turning 100 days old.
While they will not be available for direct public viewing just yet, live broadcasts of their daily activities on a giant LED screen will be on offer at the Whiskers Theatre at the park’s Wong Chuk Hang location.
Workshops, performances and special merchandise will also be rolled out for the occasion.
The park hinted unseen pictures of the cubs would be shared with the public for the celebrations.
Dad Le Le will be the first of the city’s six pandas to meet the public again after a three-month hiatus as the park’s enclosure shut in August to undergo preparations for two new adult bears gifted by Beijing, as well as the cubs.
New arrivals An An and Ke Ke – awaiting fresh names pending the results of a competition – will not meet the public until December at the earliest.
Ying Ying, the mother of the cubs, is also continuing her recuperation.
The park anticipates that the cubs will eventually join the public exhibit, although a specific time has yet to be set. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu previously suggested they might be able to meet the public around early 2025.


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Panda Watch: Hong Kong cubs near 3-month mark, entering exciting and playful phase

“Younger Brother” (left) and “Elder Sister” will soon turn three months old. Photo: Ocean Park

Ying Ying cuddles “Younger Brother” while trying to relax. Photo: Ocean Park

“Younger Brother” (left) and “Elder Sister” were born on August 15. Photo: Ocean Park

Hong Kong’s Ocean Park to celebrate panda cubs’ 100th day with red eggs, ginger pork knuckles

Ocean Park is celebrating the 100th day milestone of its home-grown panda cubs. Photo: Handout

Ocean Park will serve red eggs and ginger pork knuckles in designated areas of the park to mark the cubs’ first 100 days. Photo: Ocean Park

Panda Watch: Hong Kong cubs’ tails grow rounder, start to ‘disappear’ at 70 days

‘Big Sister’ has black patches around her eyes that look like eyeliner, says zookeeper Elke Wu. Photo: Ocean Park

The tails of “Big Sister” (left) and “Little Brother” have grown rounder and will appear to vanish as they grow older. Photo: Ocean Park

“Little Brother” has louder shrieks than his sister, who is gentler and quieter, zookeeper Elke Wu says. Photo: Ocean Park

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Hong Kong

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Panda Watch: tracking the growth of Hong Kong’s baby panda twins

Panda Watch: twin cubs set to make public debut in Hong Kong on February 16

“Elder Sister” (left) and “Younger Brother” are set to meet the Hong Kong public on February 16. Photo: May Tse

“Younger Brother” has chosen a log as his favourite spot in Ocean Park’s Giant Panda Adventure enclosure. Photo: May Tse

“Elder Sister” (right) enjoys lazing and napping on a fork of branches on a tree. Photo: May Tse

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s twin cubs to make public debut after Lunar New Year

“Elder Sister” (left) and “Younger Brother” have recently started playing and climbing around their enclosure, crawling on grass, climbing up rocks and clawing at trees. Photo: Ocean Park

“Younger Brother” plays with his toys. Photo: Ocean Park

Despite taking an early tumble, “Elder Sister” has learned to enjoy playing on the slide set up by zookeepers. Photo: Ocean Park

Panda Watch: twin cubs start crawling ahead of first Christmas at Hong Kong’s Ocean Park

‘Younger Brother’ has started crawling around his den. Photo: Instagram/ pandahk_official

‘Elder Sister’ and ‘Younger Brother’ have been bonding by playing with one another. Photo: Instagram/ pandahk_official

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s twin cubs weigh 40 times more than at birth

Hong Kong’s panda cubs. Photo: Instagram/pandahk_official

‘‘Younger Brother” tips the scale at 5.5kg from 112 grams at birth. Photo: Instagram/pandahk_official

Hong Kong’s panda twin cubs will be given ‘caring training’ at 2 to 3 years old

Hong Kong’s panda cubs. Photo: Instagram/ pandahk_official

Male giant panda An An is already undergoing “caregiving training” at the park. Photo: Oscar Liu

Howard Chuk, Ocean Park’s head of zoological operations and conservation, outside the panda enclosure. Photo: Oscar Liu

Panda Watch: how can Hong Kong cash in on panda economy as cubs reach milestone?

Giant Panda Le Le will be back in public  view on Saturday for the first time since August. Photo: May Tse

Hong Kong is hoping to get a panda economy running. Photo: Jelly Tse

He Ye and He Hua have captured the hears of visitors. Photo: Facebook/ Panda HeHua & HeYe

Panda fans wait for Fu Bao at South Korea’s Everland amusement park. Photo: AFP

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s twin cubs ready for 100-day milestone, with festivities planned

Ocean Park will roll out new merchandise and give out free food on November 23 and 24 to celebrate the 100th day of Hong Kong’s twin cubs. Photo: Ocean Park

Fu Bao selects a loaf of bread, which symbolises happiness, on her first birthday in July this year. Photo: Handout

Le Le, the first giant panda born in Singapore, is given an ice cake filled with food on her first birthday in 2022. Photo: AFP

Panda Watch: Hong Kong cub ‘winces’ at mother’s poo, experts explain scent marking behaviour

Ke Ke, one of the two adult giant pandas gifted to the city by Beijing. Photo: Instagram. 

Ocean Park has posted a funny moment between “Elder Sister” and Ying Ying in their den, in which the cub appears to wince at her mother’s poo. Photo: Instagram

Adult giant panda, An An, enjoying a snack of bamboo. Photo: Instagram

Panda Watch: Hong Kong cub twins happier and healthier at 2 months old

Ocean Park shares its latest pictures of “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother”. Photo: Ocean Park Hong Kong

The two panda cubs have come a long way since they were born in August. Photo: Ocean Park Hong Kong

Panda Watch: Hong Kong cubs starting to develop their own distinctive features

Elder Sister (left) and Little Brother. Photo: Ocean Park

Panda-themed merchandise at Ocean Park. Photo: Jelly Tse

Moko’s electronic panda display has been mocked by some social media users. Photo: Eugene Lee

Ocean Park has started serving panda-themed desserts. Photo: Dickson Lee

Panda Watch: Hong Kong twins ‘starting to see the world’, graduate from incubators to cots

Normally, one cub spends time with a caretaker as the other is nursed by Ying Ying, who is learning the ropes of motherhood. Photo: Ocean Park

The two cubs were also captured in a rare moment together, with the “Elder Sister” placing her paw on her brother’s arm. Photo: Ocean Park

“Elder Sister” now weighs more than 1.6kg. Photo: Ocean Park

Panda Watch: twins’ eyes open wider, spotlight shared with Hong Kong newcomers An An and Ke Ke

The cubs’ eyes have yet to fully open, but “separation” between the upper and lower eyelids has begun. Photo: Instagram/pandahk_official

The cubs’ have delighted fans with their playful behaviour on social media. Photo: Instagram/pandahk_official

Panda Watch: Hong Kong cub twins put on healthy weight at 5-week mark

“Little Sister” takes a small nap as she reaches five weeks old. Photo: Handout

“Little Brother” spends time with momma while his sister rests. Photo: Handout

Panda Watch: Hong Kong twins shows off strong hind legs ahead of 1-month birth anniversary

The twins will mark their one-month birthday on Saturday. Photo: Ocean Park

Ocean Park has said it is exploring product ideas to tie-in with the birth of the twins. Photo: Ocean Park

Fu Bao and Everland Resort zookeeper Kang Cheol-won have enjoyed celebrity status in South Korea. Photo: Handout

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s cub twins are 3 weeks old and thriving

The fur on “Little Brother” is starting to develop into a panda’s trademark black-and-white coat. Photo: SCMP

“Elder Sister” gets some licks and a cuddle from mum. Photo: Ocean Park

A screengrab of Ying Ying and her cubs from an undated video posted on Thursday. Photo: Instagram/pandahk_official 

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s cub twins start to develop black-and-white features and sprout fur

Photo: Facebook/Ocean Park Hong Kong

The cub nicknamed “Elder Sister”. Despite being twins, the cubs are growing at different rates, with the girl currently slightly larger than her brother. Photo: Ocean Park

“Little Brother” boasts more pronounced dark patches. Photo: Ocean Park

Ocean Park recently posted a video of Ying Ying being fed a bowl of water sweetened with apples, to encourage her to stay hydrated, recover faster and produce more milk. Photo: Ocean Park

Panda Watch: wiggling and sucking milk, Hong Kong’s cub twins survive first critical days after birth

The latest photos show the cubs have started to sprout sparse fur on their pink skin. Photo: Facebook/Ocean Park 

Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s Ying Ying cares for twin cubs together for first time

Panda mum Ying Ying is caring for her twin cubs together for the first time. Photo: Ocean Park

Ocean Park says pandas entering crucial stage of development in which they will become more active and explore their surroundings


Ocean Park says pandas entering crucial stage of development in which they will become more active and explore their surroundings.


Panda Watch: Hong Kong cubs near 3-month mark, entering exciting and playful phase

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Ocean Park says pandas entering crucial stage of development in which they will become more active and explore their surroundings

Ocean Park says pandas entering crucial stage of development in which they will become more active and explore their surroundings