Giant Panda Cubs Learn to Walk
December 31, 2016
Giant Panda cubs Ya Lun and Xi Lun are nearly four months old and can now scoot, wobble, and walk across their day room at Zoo Atlanta.
Born September 3, the female cubs are capturing the world’s attention as they become more mobile. Experienced mother Lun Lun is gradually introducing her cubs to new and exciting adventures, including the wide-open spaces of the day room.
Photo Credit: Zoo Atlanta
You met the twins on ZooBorns when they were named at their 100-Day Celebration in keeping with an ancient Chinese tradition. They now weigh nearly 11 pounds, through their woolly fur makes them appear much larger.
The next milestone for the cubs will be climbing, and they’ve already been testing those skills on logs within the dayroom.
Giant Pandas’ status was recently downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, but fewer than 1,900 Giant Pandas are estimated to remain in the wild. The population still relies heavily on conservation breeding programs like the one at Zoo Atlanta.
The twins are the sixth and seventh offspring for Lun Lun and her mate, Yang Yang. Their five previous cubs now reside at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China.