Tuesday marked the birth of twin giant pandas at a Chinese breeding center, bringing hope that the unofficial mascot of the country may be able to recover from population losses caused by climate change and habitat damage.
They were conceived using artificial insemination, a common practice at breeding centers, as pandas are normally not motivated to reproduce.
At birth, the male and female cubs weighed 16.2 and 5.3 ounces, respectively, and are said to be doing well as they spend time with their mother and acclimatize to their new environment.
The mother, identified as Quin Quin, is shown holding one of the cubs as it climbs up her left arm, followed immediately by the second cub.
The pair, one male and one female, are blind, pink, and practically hairless; they will not open their eyes for at least six weeks.
In 2020, Qin Qin had previously given birth to twin daughters at the institution.
China originally attempted to breed pandas in 1955, but it wasn’t until September 9, 1963, that Ming Ming, the first giant panda born in captivity, was born at the Beijing zoo.
These efforts have now borne fruit, as numerous captive-born animals have been released into the wild.
The projected number of wild pandas has increased to approximately 1,800.
About 500 more live in zoos and reserves, the bulk in the severely forested, hilly state of Sichuan.
After the number of giant pandas in the wild rose, Chinese officials happily announced in 2021 that giant pandas would no longer be listed as endangered.
In 1990, pandas were categorized as ‘endangered,’ but after more than three decades of conservation efforts, their numbers have increased.
Beijing attributes the achievement to efforts to expand their habitat through the rebuilding and repopulation of bamboo forests.
A panda’s diet consists almost entirely of bamboo, with an adult consuming up to 45 pounds of bamboo stems daily.
Breeding programs in zoos, whose progeny are used to supplement wild populations, have also contributed to population growth.
Pandas are one of the most well-known conservation icons in the world, as well as the national animal of China, where they are adored by the majority of the population.
Sir Peter Scott, the organization’s founder, picked the panda as the WWF’s logo in 1961 due to the animal’s popularity with the public.
However, they are not among the world’s most endangered animals, as numerous well-known species are ranked higher.
They’re list’ of species separates all plants and animals into seven categories, ranging from ‘least concern’ to ‘extinct’
The position of a species on the list is determined by its wild population size, whether the population is increasing or declining, its distribution, and its habitat.
‘Endangered’ is the fourth-lowest category, one rung above ‘critically endangered,’ which includes species such as western lowland gorillas and orangutans. Pandas formerly fell under this category.
According to biologists, a species is considered “critically endangered” if it has fewer than 250 individuals surviving in the wild, a maximum range of less than 40 square miles, or a 50 percent likelihood of extinction within 10 years.
