Giant panda Hua Ni gave birth to twin female cubs at South Korea's Everland amusement park on July 7, 2023. /Everland via CCTVNEWS
Giant panda Hua Ni gave birth to twin female cubs at South Korea's Everland amusement park on the morning of July 7, 2023.
According to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda (CCRCGP), they are the first giant pandas born in South Korea this year and the first pair of twins to be born overseas.
A close-up of the newly born giant panda cubs /Everland via CCTVNEWS
The elder cub weighed 180 grams while the younger one weighed 140 grams. Both the mother and her cubs are in good health.
Nine-year-old female Hua Ni became pregnant in February this year after natural mating with her partner, 10-year-old Yuan Xin. The panda couple arrived in South Korea from China in 2016 on a 15-year lease for a research program.
Their first baby, Fu Bao, a three-year-old female giant panda, was born on July 20, 2020. Fu Bao is scheduled to leave for China to meet her mate next year when she turns four.
Giant panda Hua Ni is seen with one of her newborn cubs. /Everland via CCTVNEWS
Experts from China and South Korea will work closely over the coming days to ensure that the newly born twin cubs continue to grow healthily. The naming process for the twin cubs will start soon, much to the anticipation of panda enthusiasts.