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Berlin Zoo Welcomes New Giant Panda Twins

BERLIN (AP) — On Friday, the Berlin Zoo shared exciting news: Meng Meng, their beloved giant panda, has given birth to twins for the second time.

The cubs arrived on Thursday, just 11 days after the zoo confirmed through ultrasound scans that Meng Meng, who is 11 years old, was expecting. Currently, the sex of the cubs is not yet known “for sure.”

The zoo expressed hope for the newborns, stating, “Now it’s time to keep your fingers crossed for the critical first few days.” The cubs are quite small, weighing only 169 grams and 136 grams (approximately 6 ounces and 4.8 ounces) and measuring around 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) in length.

Like other large bears, giant panda cubs are born deaf, blind, and pink. Their characteristic black-and-white markings develop as they grow.

Zoo director Andreas Knieriem expressed his relief, saying, “I am relieved that the two were born healthy. The little ones make a lively impression, and mom Meng Meng takes great care of her offspring.”

Supporting Meng Meng and Her Cubs

Typically, giant pandas only raise one cub when they have twins. To assist Meng Meng with her new arrivals, the zoo will collaborate with two experts from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China, who are currently in Berlin.

Panda curator Florian Sicks noted, “With around 20 births a year, they have much more experience and are better able to assess development.” The cubs will alternate being with their mother every two to three hours to nurse, while they receive care in an incubator provided by a Berlin hospital.

Meng Meng’s Journey to Motherhood

Meng Meng and her male companion, Jiao Qing, arrived in Berlin in 2017. In August 2019, Meng Meng made headlines when she gave birth to male twins named Pit and Paule, also known by their Chinese names Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan. These twins were the first giant pandas born in Germany.

The twins quickly became a favorite attraction in Berlin, but in December, they were sent to China. This move was part of a prior agreement, which was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. China has a long-standing tradition of gifting pandas to friendly nations, known as “panda diplomacy,” though now pandas are more commonly loaned to zoos under commercial agreements.

The Importance of Panda Births

Giant pandas face challenges when it comes to breeding, making each birth particularly significant. In the wild, about 1,800 pandas roam in China, with a few hundred living in captivity around the world.

Meng Meng was artificially inseminated on March 26. Female pandas are only fertile for a few days each year, which adds to the difficulty of breeding.

For the time being, the new cubs and their mother will not be on display to the public. However, visitors can still see Jiao Qing, who is 14 years old, as male pandas do not participate in raising the cubs.