ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Panda twins born in South Korea for the 1st time

This photo provided by Samsung C&T Corp. shows giant panda Ai Bao and her twin cubs at an amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, Friday, July 7, 2023. (Samsung C&T Corp. via AP) This photo provided by Samsung C&T Corp. shows giant panda Ai Bao and her twin cubs at an amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, Friday, July 7, 2023. (Samsung C&T Corp. via AP)
Share
SEOUL, South Korea -

A giant panda has given birth to twin cubs at a theme park in South Korea.

Ai Bao gave birth to the cubs, both female, last Friday at the Everland theme park near Seoul, the park's operator, Samsung C&T Resort Group, said in a statement Tuesday.

It's the first time that panda twins have been born in South Korea, the resort group said.

Both Ai Bao and her newborns are in good health, it said.

Decades of conservation efforts in the wild and study in captivity saved the giant panda species from extinction, increasing its population from fewer than 1,000 at one time to more than 1,800 in the wild and captivity. The life expectancy of a giant panda in the wild is about 15 years, but in captivity they have lived to be as old as 38.

The South Korean resort group said it will observe the cubs' health and growth conditions to determine when to unveil them to the public. Meanwhile, the group said it will use social media to show off the cubs.

Ai Bao and her male mate, Le Bao, also a giant panda, came to the park in 2016 from China on a 15-year lease program. In 2020, Ai Bao gave birth to a female cub named Fu Bao.

Ai Bao, Le Bao and Fu Bao had been the only pandas in South Korea. Everland's Panda World, which houses the three pandas, has received 14 million visitors, according to the resort group.

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.

Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.

Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.

Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.

A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.

The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.

Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.

Local Spotlight

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.