Two US-born twin pandas sent to China earlier this month are struggling to adapt to their new home, Chinese state media have reported. 

Giant pandas Meilun and Meihuan are finding it hard to understand directions in Sichuan, as they were raised in English. 

While the pandas respond to English-language commands like "come here", Sichuan-speaking breeders at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Pandas are reportedly finding it harder to solicit cooperation, the People's Daily reported. 

Food is also proving problematic, with the two three-year-old pandas still preferring crackers to Chinese bread. The pandas love crackers so much, they are refusing any food unless it is mixed with them. 

The pandas arrived at the research base on November 5 from Atlanta Zoo, as part of a US-China agreement. 

There are an estimated 1,300 wild pandas in Sichuan, with a further 360 pandas in captivity. China has actively worked to regenerate giant panda populations over the past decade, with populations growing by 15 per cent during that period. 

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