A giant panda breeding center in southwest China is celebrating the births of two sets of twin cubs in what is a boost to the animal's small population.

One of the female pandas, called Jingjing, who gave birth on Sunday in China, was a first-time mother and had two cubs, weighing in at 171.5 grams and 163.5 grams. The other panda, Siyuan, was pregnant for the second time and gave birth to twins weighing 174.1 grams and 180.4 grams.

So far this year, nine cubs have been born at Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding located in the country's Sichuan Province. The center is dedicated to conservation of this rare and endangered species.

The giant panda is threatened by continued habitat loss and a very low birthrate, both in the wild and in captivity. China has established very strict penalties to punish poaching of these animals, which are among the world's most recognizable and protected rare species. It has been estimated that there are currently about 1,600 panda bears in the wild, plus more than 200 in captivity, especially in the reserves of Sichuan and Shaanxi, near the natural habitat of the species.

clg/jc (EFE)