 |
| © Zoo Berlin Germany's first panda cubs are born at Zoo Berlin |
By Jack Guy and Claudia Otto, CNN
Berlin Zoo welcomed twin giant panda cubs to the world on Saturday, the first time a panda has given birth in Germany.
Mother Meng Meng gave birth for the first time after a 147-day pregnancy, according to an announcement from the zoo Monday.
Giant pandas are classified as a vulnerable species, making the births significant for conservation efforts.
They are famously hard to breed, and female pandas only have a 24-72 hour window to get pregnant each year.
The
new arrivals were born less than an hour apart and don't look much like
their parents yet, with pink skin covered in fine white down and long
tails.
In a video published by the zoo on Twitter, Meng Meng can be seen holding one of her babies as it squeaks loudly.
The
new mother and her twins dealt well with the birth and are in good
health, Andreas Knieriem, zoo director and veterinarian, said in the
statement.
"Even though these are the first offspring born to our
young female panda, she is already doing a wonderful job as a mum," said
Knieriem.
"In the beginning, the young have to feed roughly every
two to three hours and are dependent on the body heat of their mother
to keep warm."
About half of panda births produce twins, but in the wild a mother would let the weaker twin die.
In the 1960s, when the first four panda reserves were established
in China, only 30% of infant pandas born at breeding centers survived.
These days that figure is 90%, thanks to advances in knowledge and
technology.
Breeding experts from China's Chengdu Research Base of
Giant Panda Breeding Zoo have stepped in to help six-year-old Meng Meng
look after both cubs.
The pair are taking it in turns to spend
two or three hours at a time with Meng Meng, and both cubs are "lively
and alert," according to vets.
"There are only 1,864 adult pandas
currently living in their natural habitat," said Knieriem. "As a result,
every single new cub represents an important contribution to the
conservation of the species."
Meng Meng and her cubs will be kept out of view of visitors until further notice, the zoo said.
However,
panda fathers do not raise their children, so Meng Meng's partner,
nine-year-old Jiao Qing, will remain in the Panda Garden.
The twins, whose sex has not yet been determined, haven't been named.
Berlin mayor Michael Müller hailed the zoo team's dedication in handling the births.
"What fantastic news!" Müller said in a statement.
"Soon,
Berliners will be flocking to admire the city's new black-and-white
twins -- something that is only possible thanks to the impressive
professionalism and remarkable passion of so many people."
Although
Meng Meng and Jiao Qing did reportedly have close contact during her
fertilization period, scientists at the zoo also carried out artificial
insemination to increase the likelihood of pregnancy, according to a
press release.
The cubs will spend up to four years in Berlin before leaving for China, where they will join the panda protection program.
 |
| © Zoo Berlin Meng Meng became a mother for the first time aged six. |
