The Ouwehands Zoo in Rhenen lets the public decide on the name of the giant panda born in May, the zoo reports Tuesday. Five Chinese names have been devised for voting, including Fan Xing, the name used in China for the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh.
De overige namen zijn Xing He, He Shun, Dan Qing en He Kang.
According to Ouwehands Zoo, the names are gender neutral. After all, it is not yet clear whether the panda is a boy or girl, but according to Chinese traditions, a name must be chosen for the pup within a hundred days. That deadline is in the second week of August.
In a sense, all names have a link with the Netherlands. Because it was born young after the mating of Wu Wen and Xing Ya, giant pandas that the Netherlands borrows from China, the newborn panda stays in the Netherlands for a maximum of four years, after which the animal has to move to China. Wu Wen and Xing Ya can stay in the Netherlands until 2032.
What do the names mean?
- Xing He: Xing means star, and refers to the youngster’s father, Xing Ya. “Hey” means the Netherlands in Chinese.
- He Shun: Stands for kindness and means the Netherlands in Chinese. Refers to birth in the Netherlands.
- Dan Qing: Stands for loyalty and symbolizes Delft blue. Also refers to famous Dutch paintings.
- He Kang: Means healthy and cheerful and refers to the Netherlands and the cooperation with China.
- Fan Xing: Fan refers to Vincent van Gogh, while the entire name refers to his work De Sterrennacht. Xing hints at the youngster’s father.
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First glimpse of the young in October
Wu Wen and her young are currently still in the maternity den, where the giant panda learn to walk. The young grows quickly and according to the animal caretakers has “a striking long tail”. At this time, the first colorings would appear on the shoulders and front legs of the newborn giant panda.
Ouwehands Zoo expects visitors to the zoo to see the young from October.
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