Last year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced some good news for giant pandas. The iconic bears had been upgraded from the endangered species list to the vulnerable species list, after ten years of conservation efforts had produced a 17% rise in the panda population. Conservationists around the world breathed a sigh of proud relief as the beloved species, which have been symbol of wildlife conservation for over 50 years, made a step further away from extinction.
These docile and adorable creatures are close to the hearts of many around the world, but only few really know what it’s like to be a fragile, baby panda growing up. Luckily for us, the folks at Atlanta Zoo released a heartwarming video of cubs Mei Lun and Mei Huan, the first twin pandas to be born and survive in the United States. The clip shows the first 100 days of life for the sister bears, as they rapidly transform from tiny pink jellybeans to big balls of black and white fur.
4 years on, the sisters have been moved back to China under the the rules of the Panda Diplomacy Act. They now live together at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Atlanta Zoo’s video of Mei Lun and Mei Huan serves as an adorable reminder for the precious biodiversity of our planet, and what we are capable of regarding the conservation of endangered species that desperately need our help.