Germany's newest panda twins are thriving at the Berlin Zoo. Born to mother Meng Meng, 11, the cubs are showing positive signs of growth and health during their critical early days of life. The zoo is cautiously optimistic, as panda cub mortality is highest within the first two weeks of birth due to their undeveloped immune systems.
The twins, born on Thursday, have been taking turns cuddling and nursing from their mother every hour. Without human intervention, one of the cubs may not have survived, as giant pandas typically only raise one cub when giving birth to twins. To ensure the twins' well-being, a team of experts from China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is assisting the zoo.
During their early days, one of the twins is kept with their mother while the other spends time in an incubator provided by a Berlin hospital. The zoo director emphasized the importance of conservation efforts, stating that every healthy cub is significant in the preservation of the endangered giant panda species.
China's 'panda diplomacy' policy has played a crucial role in panda conservation efforts, with the country now loaning pandas to zoos worldwide on commercial terms. Currently, there are approximately 1,800 pandas living in the wild in China and a few hundred in captivity globally.
At birth, the twins are deaf, blind, and pink, with their distinctive black-and-white markings developing later. The firstborn twin weighs 180 grams, while the second twin is around 145 grams. Both cubs have regained their birth weights and are showing positive growth, indicating a promising outlook for their health.
Meng Meng, the mother panda, was artificially inseminated in March, as female pandas are fertile for only a few days per year. The twins' father, Jiao Qing, is not involved in rearing the cubs. Meng Meng and Jiao Qing arrived in Berlin in 2017, and this is Meng Meng's second successful birth, following the birth of male twins in 2019.
The previous twins, Pit and Paule, were sent to China in December after a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The successful breeding and care of panda twins at the Berlin Zoo highlight the collaborative efforts in panda conservation and the importance of protecting this iconic species.
