- Title: CHINA: CHINA'S PANDA BREEDING PROGRAMME IS CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF TWO NEW CUBS
- Date: 15th November 2004
- Summary: (L!1) CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA (RECENT) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) SV/CU OF TWO BABY PANDAS IN INCUBATOR (2 SHOTS) SV/CU OF KEEPER CHECKING BABY PANDAS (4 SHOTS) CU/SV OF BABY PANDAS (2 SHOTS) SV BREEDING CENTRE SLV PANDA STATUE MCU (Mandarin) ZHANG ZHIHE, DIRECTOR OF CHENGDU PANDA BREEDING AND RESEARCH CENTRE, SAYING: "It's a super light baby panda which would normally have difficulty surviving. We have tried various methods (to help it survive). It's now growing very well. This allows us to have more experience breeding baby pandas and especially on raising low birthweight pandas." CU PANDA SLEEPING CU KEEPER TAKING PANDA CUB OUT OF CAGE, AND HELPING IT TO URINATE CU BABY PANDA SV PEOPLE WATCHING PANDAS SLV PANDA PULLING ANOTHER DOWN FROM TREE VARIOUS OF PANDAS CLIMBING AND PLAYING (2 SHOTS) SV PANDA TRYING TO GET FOOD LV PANDAS SITTING CU PANDA EATING
- Embargoed: 30th November 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE, CHINA
- City:
- Country: China
- Topics: Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA48SOILC797GNJRAUE1F536GAZ
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Two newly-born panda cubs notch up another success for China's artificial breeding programme.
China's panda breeding programme is celebrating the birth of two new cubs in October.
The cubs were born within a day of each other, one weighing in at 146 grammes and the other a mere stripling at 68 grammes - the lightest of all cubs this year.
Neither panda cub has yet been given a name.
At Chengdu panda reserve, six cubs have been born this year, but only three survived.
Against all the odds, the 68-gramme cub has survived - bringing the numbers of pandas at the Chengdu reserve to 46.
"It's a super light baby panda which would normally have difficulty surviving. We have tried various methods (to help it survive). It's now growing very well. This allows us to have more experience breeding baby pandas and especially on raising low birthweight pandas," said Zhang Zhizhe, director of Chengdu panda breeding and research centre.
Panda are notoriously difficult breeders in captivity, while the mortality of newly born pandas is among the highest in the animal world.
But China has managed to offset the low libido of pandas by spearheading artificial insemination.
Another challenge is getting new mothers to actually raise their babies - it just doesn't come naturally.
China's population of giant pandas is rebounding from the brink of extinction, thanks to an improved and expanded habitat. Earlier this year, a study showed that more than 1,590 giant pandas now roam China's forests. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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