Everland releases more cute photos of panda twin cubs

More pictures and videos of the first panda twins born in Korea were released Thursday as the twin girls' birth continues to attract intense attention at home and abroad. Images of the twin girls receiving precious care from panda keepers...

One of the twin pandas born on July 7 drinks from a feeding bottle filled with mom panda Ai Bao's milk. [SAMSUNG C&T]

More pictures and videos of the first panda twins born in Korea were released Thursday as the twin girls' birth continues to attract intense attention at home and abroad.

Samsung C&T’s resort group, Everland’s operator, uploaded images of the twin girls receiving precious care from panda keepers in their incubators on the theme park’s official accounts on social media, including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

The twins have grown more white fur compared to Tuesday when Everland released the first batch of pictures along with a surprise announcement of their birth. They were born on July 7.

Giant panda cubs begin growing black fur 10 days after their birth. They begin to have a panda-like appearance after a month, growing black fur around their eyes, ears, shoulders, limbs and tail.

Everland zookeepers are practicing artificial rearing for the cubs because the mother panda, Ai Bao, is unable to care for both cubs simultaneously.

The baby pandas take turns being fed by Ai Bao and feeding from a bottle filled with Ai Bao’s milk.

The twins are temporarily named Dong Bao and Saeng Bao, derived from dongsaeng — the Korean term for a younger sibling.

Everland plans to conduct a poll on social media to select the cubs' names and finalize them upon China’s approval.

Twin pandas temporarily named Dong Bao, left, and Saeng Bao receive care in an incubator. [SAMSUNG C&T]

All giant pandas are given Chinese names as per international custom when they are around 100 days old.

The twins’ elder sister Fu Bao was officially named on Nov. 4, 2020, after going through the same naming process and was revealed to the public for the first time the same day.

Fu Bao, whose name means “treasure of good fortune,” was born on July 20 that year as the first giant panda bred naturally in Korea.

Giant pandas, listed as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, rarely get pregnant in the wild because their childbearing period lasts less than three days in the spring each year.

The twin cubs, who weighed 180 grams (6.35 ounces) and 140 grams each at birth, received a warm welcome from panda fans, including Chinese.

“We express gratitude for the Korean people's care and love for the panda family in Korea and sincerely wish the two baby pandas will grow healthily,” the Chinese embassy in Korea said in a social media post on Tuesday.

“We hope the pandas will be able to meet with the audience in the near future, giving more joy to the people, and we look forward to them bringing a new, positive energy to further promote China-Korea relations,” the embassy's post added.

Mainland China delivered congratulatory messages as well.

“This is fantastic, heart-warming news, which I believe brings joy to people both in China and the ROK,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said in a daily press briefing that day, referring to Korea by the acronym of its official name, Republic of Korea.

“We believe that the twin cubs’ birth will bring joy and luck. They have our best wishes, and we hope they will play a part in thickening the bond and friendship between the Chinese and the people of the ROK just like their sister Fu Bao.”

BY SOHN DONG-JOO [sohn.dongjoo@joongang.co.kr]