Giant panda gives birth in China

BEIJING: A giant panda cub was born on Monday at a breeding centre for the endangered species in southwest China's Sichuan province.

The mother, Dajiao, gave birth to the male cub, weighing about 179 grams, Wu Kongju, a panda expert at the Chengdu Giant Panda centre said.

The mother, born in August 2006, has given birth once before, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.


It is said to be the peak season for birth of pandas which are endangered species.

Staff at the centre have gone to great lengths to take care of the mothers and their cubs, the report said.

There are more than 1,300 wild pandas in Sichuan, 15 per cent more than 10 years ago.

The number of captive pandas in Sichuan is more than 360, accounting for 86.3 per cent of all captive pandas nationwide.