Twin giant panda cubs named in SW China's Sichuan

Photo shows 161-day-old twin giant panda cubs of a giant panda named Pingping. (Photo/Li Chuanyou)

Two giant panda cubs were named Dongqia and Baiji at a naming ceremony held in Barkam city, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Sichuan Province on Nov. 22, 2022.

Dongqia and Baiji are transliterations of "giant panda" in Tibetan and the Qiang language.

The twin cubs have been chosen as representatives of giant pandas in Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. They were born on July 19, 2021, at the Shenshuping base of China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong National Nature Reserve, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Their mother is a giant panda named Pingping.

The elder sister panda is independent and quiet. She sleeps in trees a lot and likes things clean. The younger brother is lively and active and enjoys playing with their mother. The length of their noses is the key distinguishing feature of the cubs, with the sister having the longer nose. Both cubs are cute and vivacious, and enjoy great popularity.

Located in the core area of China's Giant Panda National Park, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture is an important ecological barrier on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the Yellow River.

In 2020, the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Since then, the two sides have carried out cooperation in fields such as the protection of and research on giant pandas, brand building, and science popularization.

The efforts have effectively facilitated the construction of the Giant Panda National Park, promoted biodiversity conservation, and boosted the social and economic development of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.