Panda twins born through artificial insemination in Germany

Meng Meng, a 6-year-old female panda loaned to Zoo Berlin in Germany from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Southwest China's Sichuan province, gave birth to twins on Sunday Beijing time, according to the base.

On June 24, 2017, Meng Meng left the base for Germany with Jiao Qing, then a 7-year-old male panda, to join in a Sino-German panda research program which would last for 15 years.

Meng Meng became ruttish in late March and two panda experts from Chengdu were sent to Zoo Berlin immediately.

Chinese and German experts tried in vain seven times to help Meng Meng naturally mate with Jiao Qing from April 5 to 6 because the male panda was not very interested, the Chengdu base said.

As an alternative, experts from the Chengdu base used artificial insemination with Meng Meng, and it worked, resulting in pregnancy.

Immediately after giving birth, the new mother knew what to do. It placed a tiny cub gently on its belly and began to warm it lovingly with its big paws and breath as well as the soft fur of its cheeks, according to a press release from Zoo Berlin.

Even though these are the first offspring born to our young female panda, it is already doing a wonderful job as a mom, said Zoo Berlin director Andreas Knieriem.