China
Four giant panda cubs born in Sichuan in one day
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Source: CCTV.com | 08-15-2007 16:16
Special Report: Giant Panda |
Two pandas at a panda research center in southwest China's Sichuan province have given birth to four cubs within 12 hours.
Fourteen-year-old Eryatou delivered two females on Monday night at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center in Sichuan Province.
On Monday morning, 12-year-old Jiaozi had given birth to a male and a female at the same breeding center. It was the fifth delivery for Jiaozi in six years. And the mother started to feed her children -- something she has never done.
Huang Xiangming, Chengdu giant panda breeding center, said, "Our training for Jiaozi has begun to work. We played recorded sound of cubs for her,and gave her fake toy panda babies to nurture feelings. Somehow,this has awoken her maternal instinct."
Chinese panda breeding centers report 13 cubs born so far this year. In 2006 -- 34 were born. During the past ten years, more than 120 cubs were bred in the centers. Around 90 of those survived for more than half a year.These results were made possible thanks to high tech artificial insemination.
Zhang Zhihe, director Chengdu giant panda breeding center, said, "The success rate of our artificial insemination is now over fifty percent.This means our panda breeding is now in a phase of rapid development."
Estimates suggest less than one 1,600 giant pandas remain in the wild in China.The number of giant pandas in captivity stands at about 200.
Editor:Du Xiaodan
