Berlin experiences pandemonium over panda birth once more: Meng Meng delivers twin cubs.
Newborn Giant Pandas are thriving and are being lovingly looked after by their mother and a skilled team round the clock, as the zoo revealed. "I'm relieved that both cubs have entered the world in good health," explained zoo director Andreas Knieriem. "Given the scarcity of less than 2,000 adult Giant Pandas in the wild, each new cub plays a significant role in preserving this endangered species."
As per zoo information, Giant Panda offspring, like other large bear species, are born "virtually nude, deaf, blind, and pink." The newborns weigh 136 grams and 169 grams and are about 14 centimeters long. Their gender is yet to be identified. The zoo advises caution due to the high mortality rate post birth. "Now, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed for the crucial first days."
Only eleven days had passed since Meng Meng's pregnancy was confirmed via ultrasound. Not too long ago, the zoo announced that Meng Meng was pregnant again. However, a successful birth was not a given and the embryos could have perished.
The pregnancy was induced in March through artificial insemination. Due to "embryonic diapause", the pregnancy in Giant Pandas can only be reliably detected after a prolonged period. According to the zoo, fertilized eggs initially stay in a kind of hibernation state in the mother's womb. This can last for several months. Only when the external conditions are favorable do the eggs develop into embryos.
Meng Meng and her partner Jiao Qing have called the Berlin Zoo home since 2017 and are the only Giant Pandas in Germany. They are on loan from China, their birthplace. China has been practicing 'Panda Diplomacy' for some time, lending the sought-after animals to foreign zoos as a symbol of goodwill for international influence.
"I'm thrilled about the arrival of two genuine Berliners," commented Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) on Friday. The successful panda birth is a "major achievement" for the Berlin Zoo.
Five years ago, Meng Meng gave birth to twins Pit and Paule in the Berlin Zoo. This was the first panda offspring in Germany, sparking a panda craze. Since December 2023, the cubs have been residing in the Chengdu Panda Base in China. The new pregnancy is also being monitored by Chinese experts who have travelled to Berlin for this purpose.
Chinese specialists, with their experience of about 20 panda births in Chengdu annually, can better assess the cubs' development, explained the Berlin zoo biologist and panda curator Florian Sicks. Alongside their German colleagues, they are overseeing the newborns, who are being kept in an incubator provided by a Berlin clinic. The process is similar to that in a neonatal unit in a Berlin hospital, Sicks added.
The cubs are alternately brought to the mother in the incubator at intervals of two to three hours to feed. According to the zoo, pandas in captivity give birth to twins around half the time. However, they usually only raise one cub themselves. Therefore, the mother is assisted in the rearing process.
At present, visitors cannot view the mother and newborns, as they are situated at the back of the enclosure. Only panda Jiao Qing will continue her routines and can be seen eating bamboo in the outdoor area, as per the zoo. Male pandas do not participate in the care and rearing of young in the wild.
The newborn Giant Pandas are receiving round-the-clock care from their mother, as well as a dedicated team, ensuring their well-being. After confirming Meng Meng's pregnancy through ultrasound, all we can do now is hope for their survival during the crucial first days.
