US | panda Surprise! Panda Actually Gave Birth to Twins Mei Xiang pulls a fast one on the National Zoo By Polly Davis Doig Posted Aug 23, 2015 8:44 AM CDT Copied In this 2011 file photo, Mei Xiang, the female giant panda at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, eats breakfast. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File) The National Zoo's blessed event yesterday has multiplied by two, with the unexpected addition of a second panda cub, reports the Washington Post. Zoo officials were still celebrating the birth of Mei Xiang's first cub yesterday at 5:34pm—with a rep crowing that the zoo was "thrilled, absolutely thrilled"—when she gave birth to a second at 10:07pm. Both cubs are believed to be healthy. One was put in an incubator and the two will be swapped between incubator and mom, in what the Post calls a special protocol for raising panda twins. Twins occur in about half of panda births; Mei Xiang gave birth to Bao Bao and a stillborn twin in 2013. More on the incredibly tricky process of breeding pandas is here. Read These Next New Fox star, 23, misses first day after car troubles. Man accused of killing his daughters might be dead. White House rolls with Trump's 'daddy' nickname. Iran's supreme leader makes first public comments since ceasefire. Report an error