Mandarin/Nat A pair of baby twin pandas are drawing crowds at the China's largest Zoo as they celebrate their first six months of good health with a romp in the open air. It's a rare sight, as their chances of survival in the wild are low because full grown female pandas are unable to produce enough milk to feed two babies. For the first seven days of his life, a surrogate mother dog provided sustenance for one of the twins. Only the second pair of twin pandas to be born at Beijing Zoo, the six month old babies got their first taste of spring weather this week when they were set free in a pen with their mother before an enthusiastic crowd of visitors. Under the protective eye of their 14 year old mother, Le Le, the twin boys took their new-found freedom in stride, never wandering far. Despite being in captivity, they still have a lot to learn. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) 'Playing with their mother outdoors, they can learn more skills from her and it's good for their growth." SUPER CAPTION: Huang Shiqing, Senior Engineer The birth of panda twins is as rare as the giant panda species itself. The odds of their survival in the wild are low as full grown females are unable to produce enough milk to feed two babies. For the first seven days of his life, a surrogate mother dog provided sustenance for one of the twins. The babies are now fed a diet of milk formula, eggs and fruit twice a day. These new arrivals, as yet unnamed, join the 15 other pandas residing at the Beijing Zoo, 14 of which were born in captivity. For the moment, they are the main attraction with the crowds revelling in their antics. SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin) "Their appearance and the way they walk are all lovely. I think no other animal can compare with them." SUPER CAPTION: Vox Pop This is China's largest zoo, drawing more than six million visitors annually. It has about 650 different species, 30 of which are rare like the giant panda, golden monkey and takin. Earlier in the week, Beijing Zoo, established 90 years ago, launched a web page on the internet, their address - www.beijingzoo.com Zoo officials say the web page information is designed to educate the public and help visiting tourists find their way around the zoo complex. Electronic visitors can also learn more about wildlife laws and protection, veterinary services and funny stories about animals. The twin baby pandas will also benefit from the new web page. Zoo officials plan to call on the public to suggest names for the brothers. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/f5ea8d3219220125efb4378cbd060d37 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 21 Jul 2015
• views: 173