The brothers totter curiously around on their little paws, playfully clawing at one another’s fur. Pit and Paule – as the keepers are now calling them – seem unstoppable. But shortly before they go on view to visitors for the first time next Thursday, the twins had a check-up with the vet on Friday.
A small jab from veterinarian Dr Andreas Ochs, and it was all over. As part of the check-up, the five-month-old bears received ID chip implants – a mandatory procedure for strictly protected species. The panda twins were also given a worming treatment. Zoo and Tierpark Director Dr Andreas Knieriem wanted to personally make sure that the little ones were fit for their first outing. “We are very satisfied,” he reported. “The cubs are healthy, curious, and following their mother around well – they are more than ready for their first outing.” In preparation, the interior of the Panda Garden has been “cub-proofed”: Meng Meng’s large wooden climbing apparatus has been remodelled into three small climbing stations, and gaps have been filled so that the twins don’t get their paws stuck or slip down any cracks during their explorations. The pool has also been emptied, lined with a thick layer of soft pine mulch, and equipped with an entrance and exit. It will still be about two to four months before the little bears attempt to properly eat solid food, but they are already trying out their small sharp teeth on bamboo poles.
Background:
Zoo Berlin has been home to Germany’s only giant pandas since summer 2017. On 31 August 2019, female panda Meng Meng (6) gave birth to two cubs weighing 186 and 136 grams. Father Jiao Qing (9) is not involved in the rearing of the cubs – as is normal for giant pandas. Most recent estimates suggest that there are only 1,864 adult giant pandas living in their natural habitat worldwide. Giant pandas are therefore classified as “Vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Zoo Berlin pays an annual loan fee to be able to keep the pandas, and 100 percent of that sum is channelled into conservation work, such as the breeding, protection and reintroduction into the wild of the beloved bamboo-eating bears. Panda pair Meng Meng and Jiao Qing are sponsored by cooperative banking association Berliner Volksbank.
