Panda Twins Galore at Berlin Zoo
Meet the latest additions to the Berlin Zoo - two adorable, female panda cubs! With their white fluff and furry bodies, they might look like miniature hamsters, but don't be fooled - these fuzzy creatures are pandas, and their distinctive markings are starting to show.
"The two girls are bursting with energy and are growing like weeds," said zoo director Andreas Knieriem. The mystery behind their black and white fur remains unsolved, but it may aid in camouflage, social signaling, or thermoregulation.
Their mother, Meng Meng, welcomed them on August 22. Currently, the infants are under round-the-clock care from a German-Chinese team who attend to Meng Meng. "As soon as the twins are big enough to be mobile, visitors will have the chance to see them up close," says Knieriem.
Interestingly, Meng Meng is no stranger to parenthood. In 2019, she gave birth to two boy cubs, Pit and Paule. They quickly captured the hearts of visitors, but, sadly, they were returned to China at the end of last year as part of panda diplomacy.
Despite the temporary loss of Pit and Paule, the new panda twins are expected to draw just as much attention. "We anticipate that our visitors will be as smitten with the new girls as they were with their predecessors," Knieriem added.
Meanwhile, devastating floods continue to ravage southern Germany. Hopefully, things will start to dry out soon, so we can focus all our attention on these delightful new arrivals!
Read Also:
[1] Multiple perspectives on giant panda fur color: exhorted knowledge, science, and reality (study) [3] Diet and Genetics of Giant Pandas (article) [4] Adaptations of the Giant Panda: An Unforeseen Journey (article) [5] Giant Panda: At the Crossroads of Survival (article)
