A giant panda gave birth to twins early Tuesday in a panda breeding research base in southwest China's Sichuan Province, breaking the record number of annual new born panda cubs in the center.

The female twins were born by the mother named You You and the three of them were all healthy, said an expert of the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan.

The elder cub, weighing 115.6 grams, was born at 2:07 AM while the other, weighing 130.8 grams, was born at 2:37 AM. The recent arrivals are the 18th and 19th births of the center this year, breaking the record of 18 panda births in 2006, the expert said.

The elder cub is now fed by her mother while the younger is receiving artificial feeding, which will be alternated five days later to guarantee both can be fed naturally for a period, the expert said.

The twin cubs are the third set of twins at the center this year, and it was also the third time for You You to give birth.

About 1,600 giant pandas live in the wilds of China, mostly in Sichuan Province and the northwestern provinces of Shaanxi and Gansu. Another 290 pandas are in captive-bred programs worldwide, mainly in the Chinese mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency October 20, 2010)