Giant panda delivers this year's first cub

Source: Xinhua | May 27, 2014, Tuesday |

Online Edition

A GIANT panda in southwest China's Sichuan Province has given birth to a cub, the first born this year, but scientists have yet to identify the gender and the father of the newborn.

Giant panda Guo Guo delivered the cub at 4:51am yesterday at the Bifengxia Panda Base in Ya'an City, scientists at the base told Xinhua today, noting that it is the first panda cub born this year.

Shortly after birth, the cub was barely visible when cuddled in its mother's arms.

Scientists say it looks like a healthy cub, but its gender and weight are not yet known.

The cub was born nearly four months after the mother, Guo Guo, naturally mated with panda males Lu Lu and Wu Gang on Feb. 10 and 11 respectively.

Scientists say they have to identify the father of the cub through DNA tests.

Guo Guo is also mother to two pairs of twin pandas, born in 2008 and 2009 respectively.

China saw 49 panda cubs born last year, with 42 surviving, making a record for giant panda breeding in the country.

Thanks to the development of breeding technology, the number of captive-bred giant pandas around the world had risen to 376 by the end of 2013. It is estimated that about 1,600 pandas live in the wild.

Nation

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

Giant panda delivers this year's first cub

Email this to your friend