Toronto Zoo announces birth of twin giant pandas

The Toronto Zoo has announcedthe first-ever giant pandas born in Canada twins that made their way into the world Tuesday morning.

Er Shun, one of two pandas on loan to the zoo from China, gave birth early Tuesday, itannouncedonTwitter.

• Er Shun, panda on loan to Toronto Zoo, is pregnant
• Why are we fascinated with pandas?

Zoo staff tweeted that the two cubs were born between 3 and 4 a.m. ET, and they weighed just 187.7 and 115 grams.

Twin pandas born at Toronto Zoo

9 years ago

Duration 1:10

The Toronto Zoo has announced the first-ever giant pandas born in Canada twins that made their way into the world this morning

Er Shun and the cubsare now under constant observation by giant panda experts fromChengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding inChina,as the next several hours and days are critical to their survival.

"We are so proud to be contributing to the ongoing survival of this endangered species," JohnTracogna, the Toronto Zoo'schief executive officer, said in a statement Tuesday morning.

For the next several months, the cubs will remain in the maternity area of the giant panda house, which is not open tothe public. But zoo staff said they will try to provide regular updates on their progress.

The zoo announced that Er Shun was pregnantwith two cubs a couple of weeks ago, sayingthe father could be anyone of three pandas.

Er Shun underwent two artificial insemination procedures in May:

• One involvedsperm from Da Mao which came to Toronto from China with Er Shun in March2013.
• The second involved frozen sperm from two giant pandas in China.

The gestation period for pandas is anywhere from 87 to 186 days.Breeding pandas is a difficult process.Female giant pandas are only receptive to breeding once a year for a period of 24 to 72 hours.

DaMao and Er Shunarrived in Torontoamid much fanfare, and weregreetedat the airport by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife,Laureen.

The pandas will be at the Toronto Zoo until 2018, when they'll move to the Calgary Zoo forfive years.