Giant panda Ji Li gave birth to twins, a male and a female, in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday. [Photo/newssc.org]

A giant panda gave birth to twins, a male and a female, in southwest China's Sichuan Province on Monday, four days after another such pigeon pair were born at the same breeding center.

A female adult named Ji Li gave birth to a male cub weighing 186 grams at 6:41 p.m. and a female cub weighing 68.5 grams at 7:07 p.m., said Wu Kongju, an expert with the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

Although Ji Li is a first-time mother, she did not show any panic. She clutched the male cub in her arms and comforted him. However, giant pandas are unable to hold two cubs at once, so Ji Li had to make a decision on which of her babies to mother. She chose the male.

In the wild, the female cub would be unlikely to survive in this scenario. But the research base can take good care of both cubs. Ji Li and her two cubs are now in good condition, according to the center.

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