The Berlin Zoo has announced exciting news that Meng Meng the panda is pregnant for the second time. This comes months after the first-ever giant pandas born in Germany, Pit and Paule, were sent to China. Ultrasound scans conducted over the weekend revealed that Meng Meng is expecting twins. The cubs are still in the early stages of development, but if all goes well, the zoo anticipates their birth at the end of August.
Meng Meng and the male panda Jiao Qing arrived in Berlin back in 2017. In August 2019, Meng Meng gave birth to Pit and Paule, who were affectionately known by their Chinese names Meng Xiang und Meng Yuan, marking the first giant pandas born in Germany. The twins were a major attraction at the Berlin Zoo before being flown to China in December as part of an agreement planned from the beginning, though delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Panda breeding can be challenging, making each birth a significant event. In the wild, there are about 1,800 pandas in China, with a few hundred more in captivity worldwide. Meng Meng underwent artificial insemination in March, as female pandas have a narrow window of about 72 hours per year during which they can conceive. The zoo is eagerly anticipating the arrival of the twin cubs and is hopeful for a successful birth at the end of August.
