China to live broadcast new-born twin pandas

A live broadcast of newborn twin panda cubs will air Friday morning when the pair open their eyes for the first time.

Panda lovers from around the world will be able to log on and watch the 40-day-old pandas "Maoge" and "Maomei" live-streamed on video site Youku Tudou (http://i.youku.com/pandapia) starting from 6:30 a.m. on Friday.

The brother "Maoge" is 1.53 kg and the sister "Maomei" is 1.44 kg. They are expected to open their eyes for the first time on Friday, according to Huang Xiangming, a researcher at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, where the pandas live.

The first live broadcast will run until 10 p.m. on Friday and a second one will be launched between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday. After that, the live broadcast will be available every Saturday for the next three months.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species. About 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 live in captivity.