Everland's 'Pubao' Has a Sibling... First Twin Pandas Born in Korea

Born in the early morning of the 7th... Private for the time being

Twin giant pandas were born at Everland in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. Baby panda Fubao now has twin younger sisters. This is the first time twin pandas have been born in South Korea.

On the 11th, Samsung C&T Resort Division Everland announced that on the 7th, two female twin pandas were born to Fubao's mother Aibao and father Lebao.

Aibao gave birth to the first cub at 4:52 a.m., about an hour after labor began on the 7th. The second cub was born healthy at 6:39 a.m. The baby panda sisters weigh 180g and 140g respectively. Fubao was born in July 2020 weighing 197g and now weighs about 98kg.

Twin baby panda sisters undergoing a health checkup. From the left, the first and second.
[Photo by Samsung C&T Resort Division]

Recently, Aibao's sleep increased and her appetite decreased. Caretakers, veterinarians, and the China Panda Protection and Research Center, who detected the possibility of pregnancy, took special care of Aibao.

An Everland official said, "Both the mother and the twin pandas are healthy," adding, "Aibao is skillfully caring for the babies, drawing on her experience with Fubao's birth, and caretakers plan to assist with postpartum care and parenting."

Immediately after birth, mother Aibao and twin baby pandas. From the left, the first and second babies.
[Photo by Samsung C&T Resort Division]

Everland stated that the probability of pandas giving birth to twins is about 40-50%. They scientifically analyzed hormone changes through blood and urine tests of Aibao and Lebao. Natural mating was conducted in mid-February, the period with the highest chance of successful mating. Panda fertility occurs once a year, during a one to three-day period in spring, making pregnancy very difficult.

Kang Cheol-won, an Everland caretaker known as Fubao's "grandfather," said, "I am very happy that twin baby pandas were born for the first time in the country following Fubao," and added, "We will take good care of them so that the panda family can bring hope and happiness to many people."

Poo Bao's 'Halbuji' Kang Cheol-won, Everland zookeeper (left), and 'Little Halbuji' Song Young-kwan, zookeeper, playing with Poo Bao.
[Photo by Samsung C&T Resort Division]

Everland plans not to publicly reveal the twin baby pandas for the time being. Experts will provide focused care inside Panda World. Fubao began meeting fans in the Panda World enclosure around six months old, at which time he started walking on all fours, eating bamboo, and adapting to the external environment.

Everland announced that since 2016, starting with the pair Aibao and Lebao, it has been operating the only panda experience space in South Korea, "Panda World." The cumulative number of visitors to Panda World is about 14 million.

The average lifespan of pandas is about 20 to 25 years. It is estimated that about 1,800 pandas remain in the wild worldwide. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies pandas as a vulnerable species (VU). Aside from their habitat in China, pandas live in 19 countries including South Korea, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

PubaO (left) playing with his mother Aibao on his first birthday.
[Photo by Samsung C&T Resort Division]