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Despite being endangered for a significant period, efforts in conservation and breeding have promoted the Chinese giant panda to a vulnerable status. Current estimates by the World Wildlife Organization suggest that there are approximately 1,864 giant pandas in the wild. These cuddly creatures are notoriously challenging to breed due to various factors such as the female pandas’ once-a-year reproductive cycle, their selective nature in choosing mates, and in some rare cases, pandas forgetting how to reproduce. Therefore, the recent birth of two panda cubs is indeed a reason for joy and celebration.
Shin Shin, the resident giant panda at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, Japan, successfully delivered not just one but two cubs in the early hours of Wednesday. The exact weights and genders of the cubs have yet to be determined, but both are roughly the size of a human adult hand and seem to be healthy.
“All the staff are working collaboratively to monitor and safeguard the giant panda mother and her offspring,” the zoo stated on its panda website.
Shin Shin, a 15-year-old giant panda at Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, has given birth to twins. ??https://t.co/iOoJo0Mgm0
— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 23, 2021
Shin Shin and her partner Ri Ri have resided at Ueno Zoo for approximately a decade after being born at the Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, China. Prior to this birth, they had welcomed a female cub named Xiang Xiang in 2017, who continues to live with them. The zoo has not yet announced when the new cubs will be available for public viewing; Shin Shin has been kept away from the public eye since the zoo reopened earlier this month to ensure a smooth birthing process.
“The panda family is now complete with five members. This is wonderful news,” said Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Katsunobu Kato. “I trust that everyone at the zoo is working tirelessly day and night to ensure the health of the panda family, and I hope that everyone will support them with warmth and quiet observation.”
