- Juvenile Panda Thriving Round the Clock
The two newborn panda cubs at the Berlin Zoo are thriving after three days. A zoo representative shared with the German Press Agency on Sunday that "the cubs are doing great thus far, they're constantly tended to by the German-Chinese panda team and are taking turns with the mother."
In the natural world, a panda mother can only successfully rear one offspring. When there are twin births, which occur around half the time, it results in one cub's demise. The zoo spokesperson added, "Here, we have the chance to save this little one." With approximately 1800 giant pandas left in the wild, every healthy cub matters significantly.
The zoo detailed, "To allow both cubs to develop as naturally as possible, with mother's milk and nurturing, the cubs take turns with the mother. The other cub is sleeping in an incubator during these periods. As soon as it wakes up and craves a feed, it heads to Meng Meng." These animals consume their food around ten times a day, switching roughly every hour.
Female panda Meng Meng delivered the two tiny cubs, each around 14 centimeters long, on Thursday morning. This was only the second time twin pandas were born in Germany, and there was an outpouring of well-wishes for their first crucial days.
Born blind, deaf, and utterly dependent, both cubs should doubling their weight within ten days, and by two months, they should be able to walk. Their diet primarily consists of nutrient-rich panda milk until they reach six months, when they begin to consume bamboo.
Similar to their parents, the infant pandas are owned by the Chinese government, which loans them to select nations as part of what's known as panda diplomacy.
The German-Chinese panda team is diligently taking turns tending to the cubs, ensuring they get enough time with their mother. In the natural world, a mother panda typically focuses on one cub at a time, giving this extra attention to both newborns is crucial for their survival.
