Huan Huan, a female panda loaned by China to the Beauval Zoo in France, gave birth to twins at night from Saturday to Sunday. Newborn pandas are in good health.
The twins, who were born just after 1 a.m., are the new addition to the panda family at the French zoo. This family also consists of their father Yuan Zi and their older brother Yuan Meng, born on August 4, 2017.
“Both babies are pink. They are both completely healthy. They look very big. The director of the zoo, Rudolph DeLord, explains, they are beautiful.”
A nurse from the Chinese center who searches for giant pandas has traveled to France for the birth. She was already able to examine, nurture and place a virgin panda in an incubator. That panda weighed 149 grams at birth. The second animal will also be carefully examined once its caretakers are able to get close to it.
In late March, two giant pandas, Huan Huan and Yuan Zi, one of the zoo’s main attractions, attempted to mate. Artificial insemination was also performed as a precaution, as female pandas are only fertile for 24 to 48 hours a year.
Through IVF, Huan Huan gave birth to her first son. That panda is now four years old and weighs more than 100 kilograms. His twin brother did not survive.
A newborn panda will not be named for 100 days. The zoo stated that the wife of the Chinese president will be allowed to choose names.
