Giant panda babies make first public appearance

Six pairs of giant panda twins made their first public appearance on Monday Credit: China Central Television

The moment twelve giant panda babies made their first public appearance together has been captured in an adorable video that will delight panda fans.

Lying together on the floor of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in China's Sichuan province the six sets of twins can be seen slowly rolling over each other and reaching out their paws as their actions are caught on camera.

The cubs, who are all aged between one and four months old, were born in captivity at the Chengdu Research Base and have been helped to survive their first few months by staff who have been making sure they get all the nutrients they need.

Newly-born pandas are not immune to the outside world Credit: China Central Television
Twin pandas have accounted for 90 percent of all panda births in China this year Credit: China Central Television

Hou Rong, director of research at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, said the key for the babies' survival has been to feed them colostrum - the first milk produced in pregnancy.

She said: "Newly-born pandas are not immune to the outside world, so they are easily infected with bacteria and end up dying. However, they can survive if they have colostrum, as it is rich in antibodies."