Panda cubs at Tokyo zoo get their names, to debut in January
ABC News
Giant panda twins born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in June now have their names
TOKYO -- Giant panda twins born at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in June got their names Friday — Lei Lei for the female cub, and Xiao Xiao for her brother. They were chosen from hundreds of thousands of suggestions sent from fans around Japan.
The twin cubs, which were palm-size pink creatures when born on June 23, have grown and now have their unique black-and-white blocks, with black fur around their eyes, ears and limbs.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike announced their names during her weekly news conference. She said Xiao Xiao means “the light of dawn turning brighter," and Lei Lei portrays a bud becoming a beautiful flower and developing a bright future.
“Together, Xiao Xiao and Lei Lei can mean bright dawn leading to the future. I think their names have a very bright image,” she said.
