Giant panda delivers second set of twins at US zoo
Lun Lun delivers her second set of twins.
A giant panda has delivered her second set of twins at a US zoo.
Lun Lun, aged 19, was artificially inseminated and gave birth to her second set of twins at Zoo Atlanta on Saturday morning.
The zoo said Lun Lun is a great mother, but warned that caring for newborn panda twins is never easy.
“The risk of infant mortality is higher in twins than in single cub births,” the zoo said.
“Their early days of life are critical.”
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Born blind and barely larger than a mobile phone, giant panda cubs are some of the animal kingdom’s most fragile newborns.
Veterinarians have implemented a “cub-swapping method”, where Lun Lun cares for one cub while the other is cared for in a nursery, in order to improve their chances of survival.
The method proved successful when it was applied to Lun Lun last set of twins, which were born in 2013.
“The cub-swapping approach allows the mother to provide care and feeding for both of her offspring without becoming overexerted,” Zoo Atlanta said.
The newborns will spend an equal amount of time with their mother to “ensure they both receive equal amounts of maternal care”.
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