The first cub was born at 6.30 a.m. while Huamei delivered the second one three hours later. The second, weighing 129.8 grams, is male, while the first one was in the arms of its mother and its gender and weight have yet to be established.

Both the cubs and the mother are in good condition, said Li Desheng, vice director of the research center of the Wolong Nature Reserve for Giant Pandas.

The cubs are the third pair delivered by Huamei, who gave birth to two twins in 2004 and 2005 since its return to China in February 2004.

Born on August 21 in San Diego Zoo of the United States, Huamei is the first giant panda to have been born and survived in the Western Hemisphere since 1990. Her name means "China and America".

According to estimates by experts, there are only about 1,590 wild giant pandas in the world. The number of giant pandas in captivity stood at about 210 in China.

The mating season of giant panda is mainly from March to May and giant pandas only give birth once in a year, usually to one or two cubs.