The first twin giant pandas born in the United States have been named from a Chinese phrase that means "indescribably beautiful and magnificent."
Zoo Atlanta, where the cubs reside with their mother Lun Lun, followed the Chinese tradition of waiting until the cubs were 100 days old before naming them. More than 52,000 people
voted on “Good Morning America’s” website on the names, the Daily Mail said.
Editor's Note: ObamaCare Is Here. Are You Prepared?
The winning names were Mei Lun and Mei Huan.
Visitors to the
zoo’s website can watch the panda cam that focuses on the two black-and-white roly poly balls of fur. Blog posts from zookeepers on the site provide an up-to-date view of what’s happening with the twins.
“This morning we learned that out little fuzzballs now have official names: Mei Lun (Cub A) and Mei Huan (Cub B). The morning was filled with more cameras than I've seen in awhile as ‘Good Morning America’ was here at Zoo Atlanta shooting live footage of the staff/guests that were present for the naming celebration as well as live shots of the cubs!” wrote Jen W., Keeper I, Carnivores, on Wednesday when the cubs were named. “The stars were more interested in being squirmy cubs than in getting any camera time. Mei Huan wanted to use his brother as a pillow while Mei Lun had other ideas.”
Giant pandas are an endangered species, and about 1,600 live in the wild and 300 in captivity, the Daily Mail said.
On Thursday, the panda cubs continued their on-camera performance, unaware of the attention their new names received. Wrote Jen W.: “Since they haven't started climbing, those nails of theirs are pretty sharp, and we are all pretty quick to reposition an active cub to avoid having our skin raked by those admittedly adorable but needle-sharp claws! They won't draw blood, but they leave nice little raised marks on your skin that'll take awhile to fade.”
Editor's Note: Do You Support Obamacare? Vote in Urgent National Poll
Related stories:
14 Pandas in a Crib: Too-Cute Gathering of Cubs Goes Viral
National Zoo Panda Cam Goes Dark, A Victim of Shutdown