The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) has announced that residents can propose names for the locally-born panda twins from Monday next week until the end of the month.
According to an IACM statement, each resident can only submit one two-name suggestion and explain in no more than 160 Chinese characters why they have chosen the names.
The names can be submitted online (http://www.macaupanda.org.mo/naming) or by collecting a form from any IACM office.
Besides, there will be “big prizes” for the top four winners who will also receive MOP5,000 each.
According to the statement, IACM officials and representatives from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding will select the four winners. The final decision on the two names will be made by Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai On.
The twins will be given their formal names when they are 100 days old. They were born at the Giant Panda Pavilion in Coloane on June 26.
The cubs celebrated their first “full moon” (one month) last week.
According to information provided by the bureau, Tai Pou, the elder cub, weighed over 1,000 grammes last week, an increase of 14 times of his birth weight, while Sio Pou, his younger brother, weighed 753 grammes, an increase of 7.5 times his birth weight.
Tai Pou means “big baby” or “big treasure” in Cantonese, while Sio Pou means“little baby” or “little treasure”. “Pou” in Cantonese is often used in infant names. The local government gave the twins their infant names early this month.(Macau News/ The Macau Post Daily)
