Zoo Berlin shared the amazing news that 11-year-old Meng Meng has given birth to two healthy Giant Panda twins, and they're all doing well.
On August 23, 2024, the Zoo Berlin announced that their longtime Giant Panda, Meng Meng, had given birth. And it was twins again! Take a look!
According to the Associated Press, the cubs were born on August 22, 2024, 11 days after an ultrasound confirmed the pregnancy.
According to Google Translate, the zoo shared the news with its followers on Facebook.
"They are here! You've been waiting for this as eagerly as we have... Meng Meng had offspring for the second time yesterday at 1:03 p.m. and 2:19 p.m.," they wrote in the announcement.
"Both cubs are in good health and are being lovingly cared for around the clock by their mother and the experienced panda team."
The team made it clear that right now is a "critical time" for the baby Giant Panda twins. AP News explained, "The cubs are tiny, weighing just 169 grams and 136 grams (about 6 ounces and 4.8 ounces) respectively, and are about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long."
Baby Giant Pandas don't look anything like their adult selves. They're really small and easily fit into a person's palm. AP News explains that they're born deaf and blind, and they're white and pink, with their signature markings developing much later on.
"I am relieved that the two were born healthy," zoo director Andreas Knieriem told AP News. "The little ones make a lively impression, and mom Meng Meng takes great care of her offspring."
According to the zoo, Giant Pandas don't typically raise twins when they give birth to them; they usually only raise one. However, the zoo promises to "'actively support' Meng Meng's child care in cooperation with two experts from China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding who are in the German capital."
The plan is for the two Giant Panda cubs to alternate nursing time with their mom every two to three hours. When they're not with their mama, they're being cared for in an incubator, which AP News reports was donated by a hospital in Berlin.
Giant Pandas Are Considered 'Vulnerable' Due to Low Population
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature ( IUCN ), the population of Giant Pandas is considered "vulnerable," but scientists are seeing some positive trends.
A lot has been done to help preserve the Giant Pandas over the past several decades, and one of the latest surveys from the IUCN showed some increase in habitat, which showed some promising trends for the population.
"Evidence from a series of range-wide national surveys indicate that the previous population decline has been arrested, and the population has started to increase (State Forestry Administration 2015)," the IUCN notes. "It is widely believed that the population has stabilized and has begun to increase in many parts of the range."
But that doesn't mean they're out of danger. The IUCN warns: "Although the population is currently increasing, climate change is predicted to eliminate >35% of the Panda's bamboo habitat in the next 80 years, and thus the Panda population is projected to decline," they write.
So, any new births are good news, and we're excited to follow along with the two new cubs at Zoo Berlin.
Local News
