The first pair of giant pandas born in Germany, four year old twins "Mengxiang" and "Mengyuan", arrived in Chengdu, Sichuan on Sunday.
Earlier this month, after a farewell ceremony attended by tourists at the Berlin Zoo, the giant panda was sent on a flight to China on Saturday afternoon. The staff of the German zoo accompanied the twins on board.
With the agreement of both China and Germany, these twins were sent to the Chengdu Giant Panda Research and Breeding Base.
Andreas Knieriem, the head of the Berlin Zoo, said, "The birth of Germany's first giant panda was not only a touching experience for me personally, but also a highlight of my career as a zoo veterinarian and director. Nothing can easily surpass it.".
These panda twins were born on August 31, 2019 and celebrated their fourth birthday this summer. In 2017, the parents of these twins, Meng and Jiao Qing, were sent from Chengdu to Berlin and were the only two giant pandas in Germany at that time.
According to the zoo, these twins were born with a weight as light as a chocolate bar and relied on their mother's care.
Berlin Mayor Kai Wagner said at the farewell ceremony that the twins "have brought a lot of joy to Berliners and many tourists in recent years.". "It's time to say goodbye."
The Berlin Zoo recently released a set of video clips on social media platforms, showcasing the growth process of these twins over the past four years.
The zoo has also launched an activity to collect paintings and illustrations of twin giant pandas. German fans sent out their works this month, and these works were sent to China along with the twins.
The Berlin Zoo stated that the twins have been living apart for two years, and having no twins would not be too difficult for panda parents.
One to three years is the most active stage of development for giant pandas, as they spend most of their time playing, exploring, and climbing trees. Male captive giant pandas reach sexual maturity around the age of six. After moving to China, these twins are expected to find a spouse.
According to the zoo, the staff accompanying the giant pandas will explain to their Chinese colleagues how to communicate with Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan through gestures.
This year, at least 17 giant pandas have returned to China from overseas countries such as the United States, France, and Japan.
According to the Forestry and Grassland Bureau of Sichuan Province, due to the expiration of the agreement, most of the giant pandas have been returned this year. Due to the impact of the COVID-19, the return of some pandas was delayed, leading to the return of a large number of pandas this year.
