Twin panda cubs ready to make public debut at Berlin zoo

Berlin Zoo visitors will from Wednesday be able to catch their first glimpse of two rabbit-sized panda cubs born almost eight weeks ago.

The 2.5-kilogram (about five pound) baby bears will take turns to greet an admiring public in the zoo's Panda Garden for about an hour a day from 1:30 pm local time.

"Until now, it was exclusively reserved for our team to observe the growing up of the little pandas," said zoo director Andreas Knieriem. "Now, for the first time, we can also allow our visitors to take part."

Since their birth on August 22, the still unnamed cubs have been in the care of their mother Meng Meng and an expert team including specialists from China's Chengdu Panda Base.

"Panda cubs are still very immature at birth and completely dependent on their mother for care," said biologist and curator Florian Sicks in a statement.

"Normally, panda mothers only raise one cub. But with animals as endangered as the giant panda, every offspring is of enormous importance."

Sicks added that "we will observe closely how the little pandas react to their new environment and adjust the time window if necessary."

The zoo said that panda fathers are not involved in the rearing of their offspring and that dad Jiao Qing "can be seen here all day long, eating bamboo and relaxing in a separate enclosure for visitors".

Female giant pandas are only able to reproduce for around 72 hours a year, and natural habitat fragmentation makes it difficult for the animals to find each other at mating time.

Meng Meng previously gave birth at Berlin Zoo in 2019 to twin cubs who were named Pit and Paule, and who have lived at the Chengdu sanctuary since late 2023.

"Giant pandas are very special animals for us," said Knieriem.

"We hope that the panda cubs will capture the hearts of our guests and at the same time draw attention to the need to protect their natural habitats.

"Who better to do this than these little bears with their adorable beady eyes?"