The Central Government will present another pair of pandas to Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of the handover, the State Forestry Administration says.

The State Council approved Chief Executive Donald Tsang's request for the animals. The State Forestry Administration and Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau have started the preparatory work, including the selection of pandas.

Senior officials from the State Forestry Administration also visited An An and Jia Jia, the two giant pandas the Central Government gave to Hong Kong in late 1999. Aged 18 and 26, An An and Jia Jia reside at the Ocean Park theme park and have fully integrated into the local community.

More details about the pair are available here.

The Home Affairs Bureau said preparations for the creatures' accommodation, transportation and quarantine arrangements are being worked out. Their care will also be entrusted to Ocean Park.

Ocean Park has started renovating existing facilities to offer them temporary accommodation, while it will complete a new Giant Panda habitat by the end of 2008.