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[feline groovy]

*gently kisses babies' foreheads  

'Our little angels!' Fans go wild for adorable 3-month-old giant panda twins as they are finally unveiled to the public at a South Korea zoo

MailOnlineUk   13 October, 2023

Two adorable giant panda twins have finally been unveiled to the public after they were born in July - and after 500,000 people voted to name them, the tiny creatures are already winning fans around the world.

The pair, who are already YouTube sensations, were introduced as Rui Bao ('wise treasure') and Hui Bao ('shining treasure') - and after waiting eagerly to catch a glimpse of the pandas, fans were delighted to finally see them. 

People flocked to Instagram to describe the sisters as 'little angels' after first hearing they had been born at Everland Theme Park in South Korea on 7 July. 

Around 500,000 people voted online to choose names for the twin sisters, with a handful of fans invited to the ceremony. 

The pandas' names were chosen using a public selection process that lasted 43 days. Proposals were made through Everland's social media channels and, after being shortlisted by employees, the names were finally decided on through two public votes. 

Giant pandas have a low survival rate, which made this ceremony particularly special. 

The sisters have a healthy weight of over 5 kilograms, with black tufts of hair growing around their eyes, ears and legs. 

They are expected to be available for public viewing in the New Year, following a full assessment of their physical development and level of adaption to external environments.

Chinese president Xi Jinping gifted the twins' parents, Ai Bao and Le Bao, to the park in 2016.

The twins are siblings with panda star Fu Bao, who was born in 2020 and is the first giant panda to be naturally bred in Korea.

Each member of the family shares the name 'Bao', which means treasure. 

Since their birth in July, the zoo has posted numerous videos of the pandas on its YouTube channel that have amassed millions of views. 

The cubs are very healthy, and have started teething and crawling, zookeeper Kang Chul-won told reporters.

'We've never raised twins before, so we were very nervous, but I was happy seeing them grow up and I think the people watching them via social media were also happy,' he said.

Fans flocked to share their delight on social media after the name announcement, with comments including 'As their names imply, I hope the babies will grow up wise and bright,' and 'I wish their names will be called fondly and remembered by many.'

Giant pandas have been a symbol of China's soft diplomacy for decades, their destinations often tracking major trade deals and diplomatic initiatives.

Beijing only loans pandas to foreign zoos, but they are required to return any offspring within a few years of their birth to join the country's breeding program.

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[GinaV24]

What a wonderful thing. I'm so glad that the panda babies have been born healthy! 

[Witchy Woman]

@feline groovy 

Oh, my....little cupcakes!

I would love being a Panda Nanny or Panda Wrangler

As you probably know, our beautiful Washington, DC, Pandas are heading back to China later this year.

They have been the source of endless joy and pleasure.  I cannot imagine the Zoo without them.

[Mz iMac]

Are the twins being raised w/their mother or by staff?

[SusieQ_2]

I wanna hold one!

But they're pretty fun just to look at too.

Thanks @feline groovy for sharing the story of these two cuties! 

[feline groovy]

Tried to find that info, @Mz iMac, but didn't see anything.

[beach-mom]

These little ladies are adorable! Thanks for posting @feline groovy!  

[Mz iMac]

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@feline groovy wrote:

Tried to find that info, @Mz iMac, but didn't see anything.

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@feline groovy   I've been searching also.  Then I got the bright idea to search Korean newspapers which my search engine translated & found this snippit datedd 10/11.....

"Everland's zookeepers and veterinarians and panda experts from China have together cared for the baby twins and their mother named Ai Bao. The mother panda is currently regaining her pre-birth weight and maintaining a healthy condition through intensive post-natal care by the zookeepers and others."

It appears, the twins are being tended to by both staff & the mother.  More so by the staff.

There was also the "birth" video which does show the mother having difficulty cleaning & feeding the twins at the same time.  She had to ignor one twin while tending to the other. 

The staff raised the twins w/o the mother for the 1st 100 days which is on YouTube.

[qbetzforreal]

So cuddly!

[San Antonio Gal]

Thanks for sharing that info @Mz iMac .  I was wondering about their mother too.