Reason.com - Free Minds and Free Markets
Reason logo Reason logo
  • Latest
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • Subscribe
    • Crossword
  • Video
  • Podcasts
    • All Shows
    • The Reason Roundtable
    • The Reason Interview With Nick Gillespie
    • The Soho Forum Debates
    • Just Asking Questions
    • The Best of Reason Magazine
    • Why We Can't Have Nice Things
  • Volokh
  • Newsletters
  • Donate
    • Donate Online
    • Donate Crypto
    • Ways To Give To Reason Foundation
    • Torchbearer Society
    • Planned Giving
  • Subscribe
    • Reason Plus Subscription
    • Print Subscription
    • Gift Subscriptions
    • Subscriber Support

Login Form

Create new account
Forgot password

Culture

Panda Twins Born in Atlanta

First in US since 1987

Reason Staff | 7.16.2013 5:20 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Monday marked a momentous event in panda history – Lun Lun, a 15 year-old giant panda, gave birth to twins at Zoo Atlanta. Although the twin pandas look anything but giant, they are the first to be born in the United States since 1987. The rest of the family includes father Yang Yang and  brothers Xi lan, 4 and Po, 2, all of whom live at the zoo as well.

After successful artificial insemination in March, a live PandaCam, Twitter updates and  a 90-minute labor, the pandas were delivered within two minutes of each other on Monday night. It is not rare for giant pandas to give birth to twins, but, sadly, it is quite rare for both twins to survive when this does occur because the mother usually only cares for one of the two. Thankfully, Zoo Atlanta has devised a plan – the mother cares for one panda while the Giant Panda Center at the zoo cares for the other; in order to ensure that each panda gets the same amount of love from mom, the cubs are periodically switched.

Start your day with Reason. Get a daily brief of the most important stories and trends every weekday morning when you subscribe to Reason Roundup.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

NEXT: Angry Bird Lindsey Graham Wants to Boycott the 2014 Russian Olympics if Snowden's Still There

Reason Staff
CultureScience & TechnologyEndangered speciesEcology
Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL
Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Show Comments (2)

Latest

Review: Coastal Is a Culinary Love Letter to California's Central Coast

Elizabeth Nolan Brown | From the August/September 2025 issue

Brickbat: Checks in the Mail

Charles Oliver | 8.29.2025 4:00 AM

Trump's Immigration Crackdown Could Make Wildfire Season Deadlier This Year

Jeff Luse | 8.28.2025 4:45 PM

The Real Threat to Fed Independence Isn't Trump. It's Congress' Debt Addiction.

Veronique de Rugy | 8.28.2025 4:30 PM

The 10th Circuit Agrees That Prosecuting Cannabis Consumers for Gun Possession May Be Unconstitutional

Jacob Sullum | 8.28.2025 4:15 PM

Recommended

  • About
  • Browse Topics
  • Events
  • Staff
  • Jobs
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media
  • Shop
  • Amazon
Reason Facebook@reason on XReason InstagramReason TikTokReason YoutubeApple PodcastsReason on FlipboardReason RSS

© 2025 Reason Foundation | Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Take Reason's short survey for a chance to win $300
Take Reason's short survey for a chance to win $300
Take Reason's short survey for a chance to win $300