Older panda gives birth to triplets, but just 1 lives
Print Edition
AN “older mom” panda gave birth to triplets in southwest China’s Sichuan Province last month, but only one survived, a panda breeding center said yesterday.
Giant panda Jiao Zi gave birth to two cubs on August 19, one of which survived, and a third was stillborn two days later, said a researcher at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.
Jiao Zi is 18-years-old — the equivalent of 50 human years.
The surviving cub is female and weighs 96 grams. It is being bred by staff because she is unwell and her mother cannot produce milk.
“Giant pandas often give birth to a single cub or twins. Triplets are rare, especially at an older age like Jiao Zi,” said Hou Rong, the center’s deputy director.
Hou said Jiao Zi had a fever and poor appetite after giving birth and there were fears that she may not survive. However, she is now out of danger.
Jiao Zi’s experience has provided the center with valuable information about the birth of triplet cubs, Hou added.
Born in 1995, Jiao Zi has given birth to 10 cubs, seven of which are still alive.
About 1,600 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 300 are in captivity.
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