A pair of pandas were born last week at Zoo Berlin.
Germany’s first panda cubs were delivered about an hour apart on Aug. 31.
Following a gestation period of 147 days (nearly five months), female panda Meng Meng popped out her very first pup at 6:54 p.m. CEST (12:54 p.m. EST), followed by its twin at 7:42 p.m. CEST (1:42 p.m. EST).
“Meng Meng and her two cubs coped well with the birth and are all in good health,” veterinarian and zoo director Andreas Knieriem said in a statement.
“Even though these are the first offspring born to our young female panda, she is already doing a wonderful job as a mum,” he continued. “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.”
Immediately after giving birth, Meng Meng placed the tiny creatures gently on her belly and began to heat them up with her big paws, warm breath, and soft fur.
The unnamed cubs look more like naked mole rats than the black-and-white giant pandas we’ve come to know and love: Born pink with fine white down and a disproportionately large tail, the young bears come out with strong lungs, squeaking their way into zoo visitors’ hearts.
Unlike human parents, however, pandas who give birth to twins usually raise only one of their babies, leaving the other to fend for itself in this cruel world.
“There are only 1,864 adult pandas currently living in their natural habitat,” Knieriem said. “As a result, every single new cub represents an important contribution to the conservation of the species.”
So, Zoo Berlin has partnered with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China to support Meng Meng in the rearing process.
The young bears are currently on two-to-three-hour shifts, alternating between their mother and a cozy incubator run by the Chinese breeding experts.
Weighing in at 186 grams (6.6 ounces) and 136 grams (4.8 ounces), respectively, the adorable creatures seem lively and alert.
“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,” Mayor Michael Müller said, congratulating Knieriem and the Zoo team.
While life for panda dad Jiao Qing goes on as normal—i.e. relaxing and munching on bamboo in the Panda Garden— the rest of the family will not be on view to visitors until further notice.
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