On the 23rd, the Berlin Zoo announced on its official website that Meng Meng, a giant panda residing in Berlin, successfully gave birth to twins on the 22nd. Both Meng Meng and her two cubs are in good condition.
The announcement stated that Meng Meng’s pregnancy lasted 149 days. The two cubs weighed 169 grams and 136 grams, respectively, and measured about 14 centimeters in length. Their genders have not yet been determined.
The latest update mentioned that Meng Meng underwent artificial insemination on March 26. On August 11, the Berlin Zoo confirmed her pregnancy during an ultrasound check, explaining that an international team of experts performed the artificial insemination in April.
“I am pleased that both cubs have arrived in this world healthy,” said Andreas Knierim, the director of the Berlin Zoo. “The little ones seem very lively, and their mother, Meng Meng, is taking excellent care of them.”
The announcement also noted that since giant pandas typically raise only one cub when giving birth to twins, the Berlin Zoo is closely collaborating with experts from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to assist Meng Meng in caring for her cubs. The cubs take turns returning to their mother every two to three hours, while the rest of the time they are kept in an incubator, receiving careful attention from the expert team.
Biologist Florian Sicks expressed his happiness at having two colleagues from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding assisting in caring for the cubs. They have extensive experience and are better equipped to assess the cubs’ development. “They are working with our team to monitor the temperature of the incubator and the cubs, as well as conducting measurements and weighing, just like in a neonatal unit at a hospital in Berlin.”
The announcement stated that Meng Meng and her twin cubs will not be open to zoo visitors for the time being. In the wild, male giant pandas do not participate in raising the cubs. Therefore, the father, Jiao Qing, can continue to leisurely eat bamboo in the panda exhibit for visitors to enjoy.
Meng Meng and male giant panda Jiao Qing arrived at the Berlin Zoo from Chengdu, China, in June 2017, beginning their 15-year stay. On August 31, 2019, Meng Meng successfully gave birth to a pair of male twins named Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan, marking the first giant panda births in Germany. Last December, the twin brothers returned to China.
