Everland, the largest theme park and zoo in South Korea, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, is running a naming contest for its newly born twin pandas, which will be selected through a poll and unveiled in autumn when the twins turn 100 days old.
Submissions can be made via a Google form shared on Everland's online community, or by commenting on a community post shared on Everland's YouTube channel. The contest instructions require participants to provide names for both pandas along with their meanings.
They will be accepting names until September 3, followed by a series of online polls to determine the final name selections. The winner of the contest will receive a cushion imprinted with a picture of Fubao, the first panda born in Korea. Additionally, 22 contestants will be rewarded with other Fubao goodies.
Everland has provided specific naming guidelines for the pandas, outlining the requirements for the names and providing details about the physical traits and personalities of each panda. Contestants are encouraged to take these traits into consideration and include 'bao' in the names to ensure easy recognition around the world as one of the Bao family. They also asked for names that are easy to pronounce in both Korean and Chinese, as pandas born in Korea, including the twins and Fubao, are projected to be sent back to China before they turn 4 years old.
According to Everland, the panda twins turned 48 days old on Thursday, and have grown 10 times bigger than when they were born, each now weighing about 2 kilograms.
The twins began to distinguish objects and are now capable of moving a little bit on their own.
Everland is planning to allow public viewing of the pandas after they turn 6 months old, when they become well-adjusted to the outdoor environment. Until then, they plan to keep updating the public and share the twins' journey via their social media.
Guidelines for naming the twins
- Consider the pandas' characteristics and personalities
- Choose names that are easy to pronounce in both Korean and Chinese, and make sure to reflect the twins' cuteness
- Include 'bao' in the name so that they could be recognized as part of the Bao family around the world
First Twin:
1. Appearance: The bigger one of the two. Resembles Lubao, the father panda of the twins, and has a V shaped black marking on the back.
2. Personality: Mama's Panda. Loves Aibao, the mother panda, and often seeks her attention.
Second Twin:
1. Appearance: Resembles Aibao, the mother panda, and has U shaped black marking on the back.
2. Personality: Gentle and peaceful panda who has an appetite for his mother's milk.
