A big decision for a tiny panda: Everland invites people to name newest cub

Korea’s giant panda cub is about to get a name — and panda fans will decide what it will be.

A naming contest will be held online for seven days starting on Monday, according to Samsung C&T’s resort division, the operator of the Everland theme park.

Applications can be submitted through Everland’s official social media accounts, including its YouTube channel Ppuppa tv, Instagram and Zootopia Cafe on Naver. Each entry should include an explanation of the meaning behind the suggested name for the cub.

Information on the final selection process will be disclosed at a later date.

Born to mother Ai Bao and father Le Bao on June 3, the cub is the fourth female giant panda born through natural breeding in Korea.

She weighed 171 grams (0.38 pounds) at birth and has since grown to 1.4 kilograms (3.1 pounds), according to a recent health checkup.

“The youngest baby panda, the sixth member of the Bao family, is growing up loved by people across the country,” Kang Cheol-won, a veteran zookeeper at Everland, said. “We hope that people will give her a meaningful name that suits her best.”

Ai Bao and Le Bao, the giant panda pair sent to Korea by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a symbol of friendship in 2016, have welcomed four cubs together: Fu Bao in 2020, twins Rui Bao and Hui Bao in 2023 and the unnamed cub.

BY KIM HYON-DONG [[email protected]]