CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- On August 8, the reporter learned from Chongqing Zoo that the returned giant panda "Er Shun" produced for the first time on July 22 this year and successfully gave birth to a pair of male twins.

Ershun, born in 2007, once served as a goodwill ambassador living in Toronto Zoo and Calgary Zoo in Canada since March 2013 and returned to China at the end of November 2020. During her stay in Canada, "Er shun" successfully gave birth to twins of "jiayueyue" and "jiapanpan" on October 13, 2015.

In March this year, "Er shun" naturally mated with giant panda "Qingqing" at China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, and gave birth to twin brothers at 8:49 and 9:08 on July 22. The birth weight of the elder brother was 132g and the younger brother, 91g.

This is the second time that the giant panda "Er shun" successfully produced twins, and also the first time that he gave birth to twins after returning China. Furthermore, it is the first time as well that the returned giant panda in Chongqing Zoo successfully bred twins.

"In the wild, giant pandas usually ignore or reject the weaker one after giving birth to twins, and choose the stronger one to feed themselves. This is their breeding strategy to ensure that at least one of them can survive," said Yin Yanqiang, director of giant panda technology at Chongqing Zoo. Therefore, Chongqing Zoo has carried out artificial assisted rearing for giant panda twin babies. One was carried by the mother panda and the other was artificially reared in the cub box. They would be exchanged in turn so that both cubs can eat breast milk in time and defecate normally.

After more than half a month of careful breeding, the two cubs have been growing well, with the elder brother weighing 420g and the younger, 257g. The former was stronger, more active, more rounded, and had a good appetite. The latter was relatively thin and weak. They both were relatively quiet.

It is learned that Chongqing Zoo began to raise giant pandas in the 1960s and breeding giant panda cubs in the 1980s. As of August 8, 2022, there were 30 giant pandas in Chongqing Zoo, including 13 twins and 1 triplets. Now there are 21 giant pandas. (Translated by Liu Sha, Fathom Language Limited)