The central government will present a pair of pandas to Hong Kong to mark the 10th anniversary of its return to the motherland, the State Forestry Administration said yesterday.

The pandas will make their debut to the Hong Kong public in the first half of this year, said administration spokesperson Cao Qingyao.

The mainland presented the first pair of pandas, "An An" and "Jia Jia," to Hong Kong in 1999.

The Hong Kong SAR government requested a second pair of pandas last September. The State Council approved the request in November.

Cao said the administration will select a pair of "lively, healthy and young" pandas for Hong Kong.

The giant panda is one of the world's most endangered species and is found in the wild only in China. Experts estimate that there are about 1,600 pandas living in the wild. The vast majority - about 1,100 - live in one of the 59 nature reserves that China had set up for pandas by the end of 2006.

Cao said the pair of pandas selected as a gift to Taiwan last year were in good health and "everything is ready" in terms of preparation to give them to the island province.

The pair, named "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan" by the Chinese public, are living in a breeding center in Sichuan Province and get along well with each other, said Cao.

Cao said many private organizations in Taiwan have offered to house the pandas. He said there will be no charge for the pandas, discounting Taiwan media reports to the contrary.

They will be given for free and there will be no charges for the organization that houses the pandas, Cao said.