Mei Mei, a Giant Panda on loan from China at Japan’s Adventure World gave birth to twins. Breeding these magnificent animals in captivity is an extremely difficult and highly complicated chore. Often breeders have to try artificial insemination, as there’s only a few of these bamboo eating bears left and they are quite picky when it comes to choosing their mate. Even then, there is no guarantee of success.
So, what Mei Mei has achieved is indeed a cause of celebration to conservationists and wildlife lovers around the world. Today there are less than 2,000 Giant Pandas walking on the planet, most residing in what is since this year a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries in China. So the two newcomers have sparked new hope for the survival of the species and the successful implementation of artificial breeding.
