These images show twin giant panda cubs in their first public appearance to the delight of their adoring fans.
The cubs first appeared before visitors at Chongqing Zoo, Chongqing, southwest China, on Saturday, 1st October.
Their 15-year-old mother Er Shun and dad Qing Qing got together at the China Giant Panda Conservation and Research Centre.
Er Shun, who had also given birth to twins in 2015, gave birth to a male and a female cub on 22nd July.
The male cub now weighs 4.352 kilogrammes (9.59 lbs) while his sister tips the scales at 3.604 kilogrammes (7.94 lbs).
The siblings are reportedly in good health, lively and enjoying themselves in the nursery room at the panda enclosure where they are open to zoo visitors.
Er Shun – who had previously lived at Toronto Zoo and Calgary Zoo in Canada – was brought to China in November 2020.
Giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) are the rarest panda species. They have black-and-white coat and are exclusively found in China in the wild.
Female giant pandas can reach a weight of 200 lbs (90 kilogrammes), while males can weigh 300 lbs (136 kilogrammes).
As a result of deforestation, farming and other threats, giant panda territory has decreased dramatically and the species is listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
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Story By: Marija Stojkoska, Sub-Editor: Michael Leidig, Agency: Asia Wire Report
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