(panda cubs)

July 16^th, after a long time waiting, Lun Lun, a 15 year-old giant panda, gave birth to twins at Zoo Atlanta. So far the zoo hasn't disclosed these baby pandas' genders yet.

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The twin pandas are the first to be born in the U.S. since 1987. The zoo staff describes the newborn giant pandas look anything but giant. They are pink all over the bodies, barely have hair, and they will not open their eyes until six to eight weeks old. They are about the size of a stick of butter and weigh between three to five ounces. The mini cubs grow to be as large 250 pounds, probably a more fitting weight for a species known as the giant panda.

Zoo Atlanta's president and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement: "This is a success we share with all of our fellow zoological organizations working to understand and protect this iconic species, and we share our joy with our local community and with our colleagues in China. Twins are an entirely new scenario for Lun Lun, Zoo Atlanta and our animal care teams, who will no doubt be extremely busy over the next few months."

As the panda mother usually only cares for one cub, now the zookeepers have taken the other cub out to raise it up in Zoo Nursery. But zookeepers will also rotate the cubs in and out so that both baby pandas can get their mother's nurturing. Giant panda experts from China and U.S will name the cubs together when they reach 100 days.

According to investigation, worldwide giant pandas are less than 2,000 by now, with approximately 300 in captivity and 1,600 in the wild. Giant panda has survived on Earth for at least 800 years, and the species is known as the "living fossil" on Earth.