A five-year-old panda gave birth to two cubs in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, bringing the number of cubs born this year to 15.

An air-conditioner was installed in the room to protect the mother, Yaya, from the region's on-going heat wave.

One of the twins was sent to the panda research center in Sichuan, as experts say Yaya does is not producing enough milk to support two cubs.

Yaya was mated with eleven-year-old Ling Ling in April after being shown on panda mating.

The giant panda, found only in China, is one of the world's most endangered species.

Last year 25 panda cubs were born in captivity among which twenty-one survived.

Experts had previously estimated that there were 1,590 giant pandas living in the wild in China, but Chinese and British scientists announced in June that there could be as many as 3,000 after a survey used a new method for profiling giant panda DNA from their feces.

The State Forestry Administration said there are more than 180 giant pandas living in captivity on the Chinese mainland.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2006)