Giant Panda Ying Ying Makes History with Twin Births at 19

In a remarkable and heartwarming turn of events, a giant panda named Ying Ying has given birth to twins after more than a decade of unsuccessful mating attempts, becoming the oldest known first-time panda mother.

Ying Ying, who is set to celebrate her 19th birthday on Friday—equivalent to 57 human years—delivered the twin cubs in the early hours of Thursday, according to a spokesperson from Hong Kong’s Ocean Park.

The park released photos of Ying Ying just before she entered into five hours of labor, showcasing her pink, palm-sized cubs—the first giant pandas born in Hong Kong.

The twins include a female weighing 122 grams (4.2 ounces) and a male weighing 112 grams (nearly 4 ounces). Their arrival marks a significant milestone for both the park and the global panda conservation effort. Paulo Pong, chairman of Ocean Park, expressed the rarity of this event, noting, “This birth is a true rarity, especially considering Ying Ying is the oldest giant panda on record to have successfully given birth for the first time.”

Despite the joyous news, visitors will have to wait several months before the cubs make their public debut. The newborns are receiving round-the-clock intensive care as they are still very fragile. The female cub, in particular, is showing signs of lower body temperature, weaker cries, and lower food intake, and will need additional time to stabilize.

Ying Ying’s journey to motherhood has been fraught with challenges. She had previously experienced a series of miscarriages and faced difficulties throughout her five-month pregnancy. Giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed, especially as they age, and their reproductive window is limited to just a few days each year. This, coupled with their solitary nature, makes successful mating a rare achievement.

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The successful birth of these cubs is seen as a beacon of hope for panda conservation efforts. Native to southwest China, pandas have faced significant threats, leading to extensive conservation efforts by Beijing. Recent years have seen a positive trend, with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) upgrading the species from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in 2017, thanks to a nearly 17% increase in their wild population over the past decade.

Currently, around 1,800 pandas remain in the wild, primarily in the mountains of Sichuan, China, while about 600 pandas live in captivity. Beijing loans some of these pandas to around 20 countries as part of international conservation programs.

The birth of Ying Ying’s twins is not only a testament to the dedication of conservationists but also a heartening reminder of the progress being made in the protection and preservation of this iconic species.