Society

Panda gives birth to twins in SW China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-08-01 21:38

CHENGDU - A pair of twin pandas was born early Sunday at a breeding base in Southwest China, the base's sixth and seventh births in this month's "panda baby boom."

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Shuixiu, a first-time mother, gave birth to the twins at 1:17 and 1:40 am, the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda in Wolong, in Southwest China's Sichuan province, said.

The new mom nursed her first cub with great care, which prevented the center's staff from checking the newborn's gender and weight.

But she abandoned her second cub, as female pandas usually do.

The center's staff immediately took the abandoned baby panda to a nursery.

The second cub, female, weighed 55.3 grams.

Both cubs are in good conditions, the center said.

The center has experienced a panda baby boom this month, with seven cubs born so far.

Giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species. Statistics from the State Forestry Administration show 1,590 pandas live in the wild, mostly in the mountains of Sichuan, while more than 210 live in captivity.