Six pairs pairs of panda twins made their debut at a research facility in the Sichuan province in southwestern China!
After the devastating loss of the smaller of Mei Xiang's panda cubs in Washington, D.C. this past summer, this comes as good news for the species and panda-lovers alike.
As an endangered species in the wild, numerous zoos and research facilities all over the world have been contributing to finding ways to increase the number of pandas in the wild and in captivity. It's a strenuous process: A female will generally give birth to one or two cubs at a time. At birth, the animals are small relative to the mother's size and therefore very vulnerable. Along with slow reproduction rates and the stress that hunting places on the species, panda cubs are protected at all costs.
So when we found out about a whopping total of twelve panda cubs ranging between one to four months old, we were absolutely ecstatic!
The pandas were born in a breeding center in Chengdu, and researchers there claim that they discovered the key to ensuring the survival of the fragile newborns. By feeding them colostrum, a type of milk produced late in the gestation period, the babies can fight off the infections that can kill them.
The research facility asked the public to help name the precious cubs in an effort to promote panda conservancy.
Our fingers are crossed for these little guys. Hopefully they'll all grow to be as old as the oldest living panda, Jia Jia!
Hopefully in no time, the panda species will continue to grow thanks to dedicated organizations.
If you just wanted to cuddle with these babies like we did, please SHARE!
