Giant panda twin cubs born at Zoo Atlanta are both female

ATLANTA — Twins born to giant panda Lun Lun at Zoo Atlanta two months ago are both female, the zoo announced Tuesday.

Born Sept. 3, the twin cubs now weigh more than 4 pounds each and are the second pair of surviving panda cubs born in the United States, with both pairs being female, Zoo Atlanta officials said. The sex of the cubs was confirmed by DNA testing conducted by scientists at the Center for Conservation Genomics at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

“This is always exciting news to be able to share, but what we’re most excited about is that we have two healthy, thriving giant panda twins who have almost reached the two-month mark,” Raymond B. King, president/CEO of Zoo Atlanta, said. “Our giant panda care team and Lun Lun have done a terrific job helping the cubs reach this point.

“We’re grateful to our colleagues at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute for their expertise in assisting Zoo Atlanta with the DNA results.”

The twins’ older sisters, Mei Lun and Mei Huan, both 3 years old, are scheduled to depart Atlanta for the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China on Thursday.

Zoo Atlanta officials say the two sets of panda twins play an important role in one of the zoo’s longest-term conservation collaborations, with giant pandas representing the organization’s most significant financial investment in wildlife conservation — more than $10 million contributed in sustained support for wild giant pandas.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature upgraded the giant panda’s status from “endangered” to “vulnerable” in September, but the species remains heavily reliant on conservation programs with fewer than 1,900 giant pandas estimated to be in the wild, zoo officials said.

The pandas face continuing threats from habitat fragmentation and habitat loss as a result of deforestation and other human activities, zoo officials noted. More than 1,200 of China’s remaining wild giant pandas live inside nature reserves, eight of which are supported by Zoo Atlanta.

Both cubs are now covered with a coat of the species’ characteristic black-and-white fur and have begun opening their eyes and ears. They’re expected to make their debut at Zoo Atlanta next month or in January. Following Chinese tradition, the twins will be named on their 100th day — Dec. 12.

The twins and Lun Lun can be kept up with on PandaCam hosted by Animal Planet L!VE at zooatlanta.org/pandacam.