STORY: Zoo Berlin unveils names for baby panda twins
SHOOTING TIME: Dec. 6, 2024
DATELINE: Dec. 7, 2024
LENGTH: 00:02:29
LOCATION: Berlin
CATEGORY: ENVIRONMENT

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the naming ceremony for the giant panda twins at Zoo Berlin
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANDREAS KNIERIEM, Zoo and Tierpark Director
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (German): KAI WEGNER, Governing Mayor of Berlin
4. various of Zoo Berlin

STORYLINE:

Zoo Berlin announced the names of its baby panda twins on Friday: Meng Hao, meaning "beautiful dreams," and Meng Tian, "sweet dreams."
   
Following a Chinese tradition, the names incorporate elements from their mother's name, Meng Meng. 

The twin sisters, born on Aug. 22, also received German nicknames: Leni and Lotti. 

These names hold a special connection to Berlin -- Leni honors Marlene Dietrich, the iconic actress born in Schoeneberg, and Lotti playfully references Charlottenburg, a nearby district.
   
The names were selected through brainstorming within the zoo, explained Zoo and Tierpark Director Andreas Knieriem.

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): ANDREAS KNIERIEM, Zoo and Tierpark Director
"Charlottenburg. This is one of the districts here next to the zoo. This is quite famous. So that was the first panda, the name, Lotti. The other is Leni, one of the very famous Berliners, Marlene Dietrich. She was a very important and famous actress and performer, even in Hollywood."

Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner also highlighted the significance of the pandas in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

SOUNDBITE 2 (German): KAI WEGNER, Governing Mayor of Berlin
"It feels really good. As the Governing Mayor of Berlin, I am very proud that we now have two new giant pandas here in our zoo. Berlin is the only zoo in all of Germany that has giant pandas. This makes me extremely proud and incredibly happy. I am also very grateful that these giant pandas connect our countries. Germany and China are brought closer together through these pandas, allowing us to maintain dialogue and exchange. Pandas, and animals in general, bring people together."

The twin cubs were born following an artificial insemination procedure on March 26, after careful preparation by an international team of experts.
   
Meng Meng, now 11 years old, arrived in Berlin from China in 2017. In August 2019, she gave birth to the first-ever twin panda cubs in Germany, Meng Xiang and Meng Yuan.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Berlin.
(XHTV)