Lun Lun’s adorable giant panda twins will hold on to their “Cub A” and “Cub B” designations for a few more weeks before America chooses more fitting monikers for Atlanta Zoo’s much-beloved new additions.
Five sets of names for the 2-month-old black-and-white bundles of fur were announced on Good Morning America Thursday. The news program has partnered with Zoo Atlanta to offer a nationwide online voting contest to name the male cubs, set to begin Oct. 9.
The winning names will be revealed when the cubs reach the 100-day-old milestone on Oct. 23, in keeping with the Chinese tradition, followed for Lun Lun's three previous cub births. The zoo is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the twins' big day, including a sweepstakes for one lucky winner and a guest to participate as VIP panda fans in the 100 Day Naming Celebration fun.
Potential Panda Pairs:
Provided by Zoo Atlanta
1. Mei Lun (May Loon) and Mei Hua (May Hwaa)
Meaning “Lun Lun’s twin cubs born in the U.S.”
2. Mei Lun (may loon) and Mei Huan (may hwaan),
Originating from a Chinese idiom that also means “something indescribably beautiful and magnificent”
3. Tian Lun (tee-an loon) and Tian Le (tee-an luh)
A modified version of another Chinese idiom meaning “joy of family life” or “family happiness”
4. Lan Tian (lan tee-an) and Bi Shui (bee shway)
Meaning “blue sky and clear water”
5. Da Lan (dah lan) and Xiao Lan (sheow lan)
Meaning “bigger one (Cub B) and smaller one (Cub A) of Atlanta-born twins.”
The five sets of names were selected by Zoo Atlanta colleagues at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.
For those who can't wait until the cubs' big zoo debut sometime late fall, the cubs can be viewed 24/7 on the zoo's PandaCam.
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