Every time an animal gives birth, it serves as a beautiful reminder of the circle of life. Suddenly, a new being has been brought into this world, bringing hope to future generations of the species.
Each new life is special, but the arrival of a baby from an endangered species is even more joyous. That’s why when a 15-year-old giant panda at Zoo Atlanta named Lun Lun became pregnant, the staff was thrilled.
Giant pandas are critically endangered, so these caregivers were eager to welcome the new cub with open arms. However, they quickly realized that Lun Lun’s offspring would be no ordinary panda cub…
Giant pandas are a critically endangered species. That’s exactly why the scientific community eagerly anticipates the birth of these gentle giants in captivity and the wild. When Lun Lun the giant panda gave birth at Zoo Atlanta, her caregivers kept a close watch over the new mom and her tiny cub—and for good reason.
Playlight55 / Flickr
The birth of any animal is special, but the birth of a panda is even more so considering their endangered status. However, Lun Lun and the zoo staff were both in for a big surprise, because the incredible panda mama gave birth to a very rare type of offspring…
Facebook / Zoo Atlanta
That’s because it turned out that there was more than one special delivery on the way. After her first cub was born, Lun Lun gave birth to a second cub moments later! This rare and special event made the female cubs, Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the first set of panda twins born in the United States since 1987.
Facebook / Zoo Atlanta
The baby pandas quickly became the stars of the zoo! While they might’ve had admirers from all over the world visiting them every single day of the week, it was clear that their biggest fan was their loving and devoted mother.
Facebook / Zoo Atlanta
The twin cubs’ individual personalities shone through each day. After they spent enough time indoors bonding with their mother, it was time for them to venture outside and meet the zoo’s visitors. Just look at that coy smirk!
Eventually these “rare” twins would be sent back to live in China per an agreement between that nation and the United States. But their mother, Lun Lun, had another surprise waiting for the zoo staff: a second set of twins! That’s right: Lun Lun was the proud mama of not one, but two rare sets of twins! Their names were Xi Lun and Ya Lun, and they celebrated their very first birthday in September 2017.
Xi Lun and Ya Lun will soon also be sent to live with their twin siblings across the world in China. All the more reason to celebrate this totally rare event with a once-in-a-lifetime birthday party! They did it the best way possible, too: they feasted on cakes made of frozen water, fruit, and their favorite snacks.
These two fun-loving pandas brought so much joy to everyone just by playing around with one another. If ever there was a reminder of the special role pandas play in the world, these twins are it! Just look at this dynamic duo.
There are fewer than 2,000 pandas left in the wild, so this second set of twins was truly a reason to celebrate. You can bet that the world will be watching all of Lun Lun’s cubs as they grow up and hopefully have offspring of their own!
Pandas are still endangered, but for now, Lun Lun has definitely done her part. Here’s hoping that, when the time comes, these twins keep it going! How awesome are these cubs?
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