City's first 'second-generation' pandas! Pigeon pair cubs born

Shanghai welcomed its first "second-generation" pandas, referring to offspring of a panda also born in the city, as Shanghai Wild Animal Park announced the birth of a pigeon pair of giant panda cubs on Monday.

The delivery marks the park's second set of giant panda pigeon pair in its 30-year history.

The cubs' mother is Qian Jin, an 8-year-old panda star, who was born at the park in 2017.

Qian Jin gave birth on August 22, first to a female weighing 200 grams and then to a 160-gram male.

By September 4, the cubs' weights had risen to 499.8 grams and 394.5 grams, respectively, with black-and-white markings becoming clearly visible.

The mother and both cubs are in stable condition, according to the park.

The park said the breeding, delivery and early-stage rearing were carried out with guidance and technical support from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, covering inclusion in the breeding plan, genetic pairing for optimal outcomes, neonatal care and postpartum management.

In anticipation of the birth, the park set up a dedicated husbandry team, optimizing Qian Jin's enclosure and diet and instituting 24-hour monitoring.

Because panda mothers typically devote care to one infant at a time, the park is using a rotation system in which Qian Jin nurses one cub while the other is cared for by keepers, and the cubs are regularly swapped to ensure both receive maternal contact and consistent nutrition.

"Although this is her first time, Qian Jin has shown strong maternal instincts," said Sun Wenxiao, a panda keeper at the park.

"The giant panda babies are healthy and their growth is in line with our health benchmarks," Sun added.

September 22 will mark the twins' first month.

"We will select a proper time to introduce them to the public, subject to husbandry and biosecurity requirements," Sun said.

Since 2016, the park has bred eight giant pandas. With the two new arrivals, the park currently houses seven pandas.