Giant panda Meng Meng gives birth to twins at Berlin zoo

Meng Meng, an 11-year-old female giant panda at Zoo Berlin, has given birth to twins, zoo authorities announced on Friday.

"The eagerly awaited second offspring of Meng Meng was born at 13:03 and 14:19 on Thursday in Zoo Berlin's Panda Garden," said the zoo in a press release.

Both cubs, weighing 169g and 136g and measuring approximately 14cm in length, are doing well. The cubs alternately drink milk from their mother every two to three hours, and in between, they are cared for by the panda team in a cozy, warm incubator.

"The cubs have virtually no immune system at this stage and cannot produce essential nutrients independently of their mother, so they require an extraordinary amount of care from Meng Meng," said Florian Sicks, a biologist and panda curator.

The zoo said the now-experienced mother knew what to do immediately after the birth. "I am relieved that the two were born healthy. The little ones seem lively and mum Meng Meng takes great care of her offspring," said Zoo and Tierpark Director Andreas Knieriem.

"She immediately took the cubs in her arms; the instinct of the mother was immediately there," said Corvin Schmohl, a caregiver with over five years of experience in panda care.

Meng Meng arrived from China in 2017. In August 2019, she gave birth to the first-ever twin panda cubs, Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, in Germany. In line with the agreement between Zoo Berlin and the China Wildlife Conservation Association, the twins returned to their hometown of Chengdu after living in Berlin for four years.

"The entire process of panda breeding involves incredibly close cooperation with Chinese experts," Sicks said, adding that the Chinese experts not only work with the German team to take care of the pandas but also teach the keepers how to provide essential support.

(Cover: Employees measure two new born giant pandas at the Zoo in Berlin on August 22, 2024. /CFP)