Society

Twin pandas born in SW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-16 16:53

CHENGDU - A giant panda has given birth to a pair of male cubs at a breeding center in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, a center spokesman said Monday.

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The first cub was born at about 9:49 pm Sunday, weighing 203 grams, and the second followed at about 10:41 pm, weighing 118 grams, said a spokesman with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Both cubs and their mother are in good condition.

The mother, 7-year-old "Yuan Yuan" mated with "Lin Lin" in March this year, the spokesman said.

The last time she gave birth was in 2008, he said.

The center has seen a "baby boom" this year, with the total number of captive-bred pandas rising to 92.

Giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species. Statistics from the State Forestry Administration show about 1,590 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan and the northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu.