Oldest Panda Mother Breaks Record with Twin Birth

Ying Ying, the oldest panda mother, gave birth to twins at Hong Kong's Ocean Park. The rare event occurred just shy of her 19th birthday, comparable to age 57 in humans. Both cubs are currently fragile and need special care, a significant landmark in panda reproduction efforts.

Ying Ying, a giant panda at Hong Kong's Ocean Park, has set a new record by becoming the oldest known panda mother to give birth to twins, CNN reported. Her twin cubs were born on the eve of her 19th birthday, marking an unprecedented event in panda reproduction.

Photographs released by the theme park show Ying Ying shortly before delivering her palm-sized, pink cubs—the first pair of gigantic pandas born in Hong Kong. The twins, weighing approximately 122 grams and 112 grams, were conceived after nearly a decade of failed mating attempts with her companion, Le Le, both of whom arrived from China in 2007.

Ocean Park Chairman Paulo Pong highlighted the uniqueness of this birth, emphasizing Ying Ying's status as the oldest giant panda on record to give birth for the first time. "Both cubs are currently very fragile and need time to stabilize, especially the female cub who has a lower body temperature and weaker cries," stated the park.

The park also revealed Ying Ying had experienced multiple miscarriages before successfully giving birth to her twins. Highlighting the challenges of giant panda reproduction, park officials noted that pandas have a limited mating period of just one to three days each year and generally prefer solitary lives.

Giant pandas originate from southwest China, and Beijing has worked tirelessly for decades to increase their population, creating large reserves across mountain ranges. Despite the difficulties of breeding pandas in captivity, their wild population has recently seen some recovery. Reports estimate about 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, primarily in the Sichuan Mountains. Additionally, Beijing has loaned approximately 600 captive pandas to about 20 countries.

(With inputs from agencies.)