Twin pandas You You and Jiu Jiu are still the star attractions at Madrid Zoo.
When they were born back in September 2021, hairless and weighing just 150 grams, it was difficult to imagine that they will likely to grow to a combined weight of over 300 kilos.
But that's what happens when you eat as much bamboo as they do...
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The carers here at Madrid Zoo are very happy with the progress of their two celebrities.
"Fantastic," says Maria del Clo, one of the chief panda carers at Madrid Zoo.
"Now they are around 50 kilograms in weight, they were born with 150 grams, and they were very teeny and very weak but they have been growing and growing and now they are 50 kilograms, active and fantastic."
Del Clo also explains how it's nearly impossible for twins to survive in the wild, so they are given time alone with their mother each day, and consume milk supplements too.
You You and Jiu Jiu were born back in September 2021. /CGTN
Proud parents, mother Hua Zui Ba and father Bing Xing, have been at the zoo for over 14 years.
The twins' growth is monitored with the help of experts at the Chengdu Research Center for Giant Pandas. Scientists and experts also flew from Sichuan Province to the Spanish capital to offer advice and check on their development.
In just over a year and half, the pandas will be fully grown. It is hoped that they will return to China and they, or possibly their children, will be reintroduced back into the wild.
The carers at Madrid Zoo are very happy with the progress of their two celebrities. /CGTN
Chinese giant pandas are now no longer considered 'endangered' but are still 'vulnerable,' according to the World Wildlife Fund. There are now more than 2,000 in the wild.
Their path to recovery has been thanks in a large part due to the conservation and expansion of bamboo forests for them to be able to thrive.
Each panda can get through around 50 kilograms of bamboo a day, so they need a lot of space, and the protected areas in Chengdu have created a corridor where wild pandas can safely roam to find food and mate.
Spanish zookeepers travel to China – "The most amazing experience of my life"
Spanish zookeepers have also had the opportunity to visit China and see the conservation efforts first hand.
"I love my job, it's amazing," Madrid zookeeper Alejandro Cabrera tells CGTN with a smile. "It's amazing to contribute with the breeding of pandas in Madrid because for keepers and all the conservation team, it's a success.
"In 2010 I was in China at Chengdu panda base. I was traveling with two babies from here, from Madrid to China, and it was a very beautiful experience, I think it was the most amazing experience in my life."
Cabrera saw the two facilities that help rear and then release pandas into the wild in the mountains.
"For me it was amazing to discover that my job here in Madrid has meaning in China with the pandas, because I think the future of the pandas is well with all of the effort that the Chinese keepers and Chinese government are doing for pandas," he says.
Alejandro Cabrera, a keeper at the Madrid Zoo. /CGTN
You You and Jiu Jiu are a symbol of a successful relationship between Spain and China.
The year 2023 marks half a century of official diplomatic relations between the two nations, and many more celebrations have been planned.
You You, Jiu Jiu and their parents can expect a few more official visits this year. For now during Lunar New Year celebrations, the pandas here in Madrid might even get their favourite treat – a bamboo cake.