Two giant panda cubs were born this morning at the Toronto Zoo five months after their mother Er Shun was artificially inseminated.
The cubs were born at 3:31 a.m. and 3:44 this morning Toronto time. These are the first panda cubs ever born in Canada.
“We are so proud to be contributing to the ongoing survival of this endangered species. The Toronto Zoo has been a leader through its unique and successful reproductive programs and these historical births are a testament to the commitment and passion of the professional staff who work tirelessly every day to ensure the ongoing survival of so many species,” said John Tracogna, Chief Executive Officer, Toronto Zoo.
As you can see from the You Tube video below, Er Shun immediately began cleaning and cradling the first cub. Once the second cub was born, both were put in an incubator and two hours later, both cubs began the bonding process with their mother.
Giant pandas are born blind and are pink in color. They weigh only 0.08 to 0.2 kilograms. The pandas are on loan from China and are scheduled to the Calgary Zoo in 2018.
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