The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement on Friday that local giant panda twins Jian Jian (健健) and Kang Kang (康康) turned five years old on Saturday, and they are considered teenagers in the panda world.
According to the statement, Jian Jian and Kang Kang weigh 126 kg and 107 kg respectively. The statement said that the bureau gifted each of the male twins fruit, seasonal bamboo and an ice cake to celebrate their birthday.
The statement said that as Jian Jian and Kang Kang are becoming adults, their nutrition management strategy must be adjusted accordingly. The statement underlined that Jian Jian has a big appetite, and in order to avoid continuous weight gain, the caretakers have already adjusted Jian Jian’s meal plan.
Meanwhile, the caretakers have added bamboo shoots to Kang Kang’s meal plan, to stabilise his growth, while ensuring that he has enough nutrition to enter adulthood.
The statement said that their meal preparation must be adjusted according to their growth, the caretakers also purposely place food in higher areas for the pandas to climb so as to train their muscles and coordination skills. The statement underlined that male pandas usually became adults at the age of six or seven. The statement also said that since the twins are healthy, the care-taking team hopes that they will mate in the future.
The statement underlined that the bureau has been monitoring the panda family members’ health, noting the twins’ parents, Kai Kai (開開) and Xin Xin (心心) weigh 115 kg and 113 kg respectively. The statement pointed out that Kai Kai will turn 13 in August while Xin Xin will turn 14 in July.
The statement said that Xin Xin has been losing her appetite and has not been moving much. The statement said that the veterinarian deduced that she is currently having “false pregnancy symptoms”, which means that female panda has pregnancy symptoms such as hormone level increase without actually being pregnant, adding that this condition can last for 14 to 28 days. The statement stressed that the “false pregnancy symptoms” have made Xin Xin more sensitive to outside noises, therefore the caretakers have decided to let her rest indoors until her condition stabilises.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) on Saturday shows Jian Jian chewing on a bamboo sitting next to an ice cake.
