Panda Watch: Hong Kong’s cub twins start to develop black-and-white features and sprout fur
Despite being twins, ‘Little Brother’ has more pronounced dark patches, while ‘Elder Sister’ is slightly larger
Hong Kong’s panda twins have got through their second week of life, doubling in weight and their black-and-white features becoming more visible on their eyes, ears, legs, torso, paws and back.
Latest photos released by Ocean Park showed “Elder Sister” and “Little Brother” – the cubs’ nicknames pending an official naming – had started to sprout sparse fur on their pink skin and they were expected to be completely covered in a black-and-white coat in about two weeks.
The park said late on Thursday night that the female cub weighed 328 grams (11.57 ounces), while her brother weighed 278 grams, nearly twice as much as a week ago.
“It will be at least another month before the cubs can see, and two months before they can hear, so they continue to rely on [their mother] Ying Ying and the dedicated care team,” it added.
Despite being twins, their growth revealed certain differing traits. The dark patches were much more pronounced on the male cub, while Ocean Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said the sister was currently slightly larger than her brother.
Those hoping to see the cubs in person will have to be patient. Pong said a date for their introduction to the public had yet to be set, citing Macau’s experience of waiting six months before presenting its cubs born in 2016.
