Only a few days ago, they opened their eyes for the first time. Now, the Berlin Panda twins have sniffed for the first time up close. On photos published by the Capital City Zoo, the two of them are shown head to head.
The two bears, which (almost) resemble each other like an egg from the other, have recently got a bigger crib. The incubator is passé. Previously, they were alternately warmed up in the box because bear mum Meng Meng can only care for one baby at a time.
"Little white tufts make the difference"
An exchange of the black-and-white siblings is still necessary, because Great Pandas usually only have the energy to raise a single cub. A zoo would not provide a panda mother in nature, said a zoo spokeswoman. About every two hours, therefore, the boys would be traded. How often the two little ones get to see each other is not fixed.
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Panda offspring in Berlin: Cuddling grow upThe twins were born on August 31st. For zoo visitors, they should be seen in early 2020. Then the zoo also wants to announce the name and gender of the boys. Panda-Dad Jiao Qing is not involved in the rearing. Nine-year-old father and eight-year-old panda mother Meng Meng are the only major pandas nationwide on loan to China.
According to the zoo, the two offspring bears have now grown approximately to the size of dog puppies. The two are similarly heavy. On Friday they brought 3170 and 3171 grams on the scales. The zookeepers, on the other hand, are now able to distinguish the couple quite well. Norbert Zahmel, the district manager, explained: "A few little white tufts on the hind legs of the firstborn make the difference."