Ginat Panda in Chengdu gives birth to first pigeon pair of the year

CHENGDU, June 23 -- A female panda called Xingya gave birth to the first pigeon pair this year on Thursday in southwest China's Sichuan Province, the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding said on Thursday.

The new borns came hot on the heels of this year's first twin cubs, also born at the base, on Monday.

Xingya gave birth to a male cub weighing 170 grams at 1:17 p.m. and a female cub weighing 161 grams at 1:30 p.m.

Having given birth to twins in 2013, Xingya appeared to be at more ease in handling her new-born cubs this time. She managed to hold two cubs after they were born one after another.