Berlin's panda cubs meet the press ahead of public debut
(dpa)
Berlin (dpa) - The hottest stars at the Berlin Zoo are getting ready for their public debut on Thursday, with a rush of visitors expected to meet the two fuzzy panda cubs called Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan.
Ahead of their official introduction, the 5-month-old brothers had a date with the press on Wednesday, with the viewing window expected to be crowded after the zoo said the cubs and their mother, Meng Meng, have been spending much of their time in the indoor enclosure.
Until now, panda fans have had to make do with pictures of the young pandas, nicknamed Pit and Paule by their Berlin carers, as they developed their trademark black-and-white fur over the past few months.
"They are healthy, curious and follow their mother. They are more than ready for their first outing," zoo director Andreas Knieriem said.
The zoo is getting ready for a busy day on Thursday, with extra ticket booths to be put in place and security tasked with keeping the area around the panda enclosure from getting too crowded.
Meng Meng, a giant panda on loan to Germany from China, gave birth to the twins on August 31, delighting the country. It was the first time that pandas had been born in Germany.
Until now, panda fans have had to make do with pictures of the young pandas, nicknamed Pit and Paule by their Berlin carers, as they developed their trademark black-and-white fur over the past few months.
"They are healthy, curious and follow their mother. They are more than ready for their first outing," zoo director Andreas Knieriem said.
The zoo is getting ready for a busy day on Thursday, with extra ticket booths to be put in place and security tasked with keeping the area around the panda enclosure from getting too crowded.
Meng Meng, a giant panda on loan to Germany from China, gave birth to the twins on August 31, delighting the country. It was the first time that pandas had been born in Germany.
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