Giant panda Xidou gives birth to the ‘world’s heaviest twin cubs’ in China
They’re BIG stars! Giant panda Xidou gives birth to the ‘world’s heaviest twin cubs’ in China
A panda base in China has welcomed two new additions to the centre and they’re the heaviest twins yet.
Xidou, a 10-year-old giant panda at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an, gave birth to a male panda and a female panda on August 4, reports…
The male cub weighs 181.7 grams (6.4 ounces) while the female cub weighed a whopping 220 grams (7.8 ounces).
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Weighty: They are the heaviest cubs to be born since weight was recorded by the centres
Welcome to the world: Xidou, a 10-year-old panda cub gave birth to twins on August 4 in China
The newborns are the heaviest panda twins to ever have been born since weight of panda cubs has been recorded, according to China Central Television Station.
The station has also released a video showing how the mother delivered her cubs in her enclosure.
Xidou’s labour lasted for about half an hour, according to the footage.
A keeper can be seen coming in to pick up the cubs after they were born.
Panda cubs are usually born weighing between 90 and 130 grams (3.2 and 4.6 ounces).
According to Chinese media, it’s extremely rare for a cub to weigh more than 180 grams (6.3 ounces) at the time of its birth.
Xidou, a 10-year-old giant panda at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya’an gave birth to the twins
Xidou’s mother was killed in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.
She is the eldest son of Wang Wang which is currently residing at Adelaide Zoo in South Australia.
Luo Buo, an official at the centre told reporters: ‘The increasing weight of newborn cubs shows that the mothers are healthy and eating well.’
NEWBORN BABY PANDAS: FACTS AND FIGURES
A newborn panda cub weighs just 90-130 grams on average (3.2-4.6 ounces)
A cub is usually around 1/900th the size of its mother
Pandas are dependent on their mothers for the first few months of their lives and after eight or nine months are fully weaned
Most pandas leave their mothers when she becomes pregnant again which is usually after around 18 months
A panda’s average life span in the wild is 14-20 years however they can live up to 30 years in captivity
Source: World Wildlife Fund
