Tiny twin pandas born in China

Meet the day-old twin baby pandas born in China and helping to boost the numbers of the endangered species.

A researcher feeds one of the newborn twin female panda cubs inside an incubator at the Giant Panda Research Base in Chengdu, Sichuan province, China, June 22, 2015. Giant panda Ke Lin at the base gave birth to the female twins on Monday, local media reported. Picture taken June 22, 2015. REUTERS/China Daily CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA - RTX1HO12

The two panadas were born to a seven year old Panda, Kelin who was artificially inseminated in January.

They were born on Monday at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which was established in 1987 for the conservation and research into giant pandas.

The first panda twin cubs of the year met the public for the first time on Tuesday, a day after they were born in China's southwest. Photo: Xue Yubin/Xinhua via AP

Giant pandas have a population of less than 2000, are on the endangered list and are protected by China’s Wildlife Protective Law.

The cubs are part of China’s effort to boost the panda population. They had their public debut a day after they were born, still tiny and in an incubator.

A researcher feeds one of the newborn twin female panda cubs inside an incubator Photo: Reuters/ China Daily