The fervour for giant pandas and their cubs in Hong Kong brought in more visitors and revenue to Ocean Park, their home, but other expenses ate into its financial health and worsened its deficit last year.

The theme park’s deficit widened to HK$274.7 million (US$31.8 million) in the 12 months to June 30 from HK$71.6 million in the same period a year earlier, due to higher expenses such as depreciation, at HK$414 million, according to a document it submitted to the Legislative Council on Wednesday.

The deficit also included losses from the park’s Water World attraction.

However, the Wong Chuk Hang theme park reported a surplus from operations of HK$42.4 million in 2024-25 compared with a HK$17.2 million deficit in the same period a year earlier, its management said.

It attracted 10 per cent more visitors year on year, reaching 3.46 million in 2024-25, while revenue grew 9 per cent to HK$1.28 billion.

Park chairman Paulo Pong Kin-yee said the giant panda cubs, Jia Jia and her brother De De, and their mother Ying Ying and father Le Le, as well as a pair Beijing gifted to the city – male An An and female Ke Ke – had thrust the park into the international spotlight.