Visitors to Berlin zoo are getting a close-up view of twin baby pandas. Just under 2 months old, the star attractions are set to draw large crowds to the zoo's Panda Garden.
The bear pair will be an additional draw to the zoo which already brings in almost three and a half million visitors per year.
Zoo director Dr Andreas Knieriem, told CGTN that the success of the breeding program is the result of an international team effort.
Knieriem said: "I'm really grateful because what you see here is the product of a lot of work, of structure, of empathy, of hard work. Of course, that and knowledge and professionalism."
The two new baby girls are the second set of twins for Mum Meng Meng and Dad Jiao Qing. The last cubs, two boys, named Pit and Paulie by locals, departed for China last year.
The birth of this second set of panda cubs isn't just a victory for the zoo, according to Dr Florian Sicks, the panda curator in Berlin. It's also a success for the cooperation between the zoo and the Chengdu panda base in China.
"Without the Chengdu Panda Base we would never have been able to breed the giant pandas here," declared Sicks. "Two colleagues from the Chengdu are now here and are helping us raise the two young animals. And without these two experts and their knowledge it would be impossible to do this."
Until now the cubs have been cared for behind closed doors. In the wild a panda would only be able to care for one cub. Dr Franziska Sutter is one of the veterinary team charged with providing that extra attention.
According to Sutter: "It's very necessary for the pandas that you have to stimulate the digestion. So they in the beginning, it's not they don't poo and they don't pee by themselves. they need the help of the mother or the help of the keeper. So the mother does it with licking on the stomach region or the abdomen."
The next step for the twin bear cubs will be a decision on their names. It's expected this will come in December to coincide with 100 days since their birth.
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