{"id":36742,"date":"2013-06-23T22:52:32","date_gmt":"2013-06-24T02:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/planetsave.com\/?p=36742"},"modified":"2013-06-23T22:52:32","modified_gmt":"2013-06-24T02:52:32","slug":"giant-panda-twins-born-in-china-highly-endangered-species-still-near-the-brink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/planetsave.com\/articles\/giant-panda-twins-born-in-china-highly-endangered-species-still-near-the-brink\/","title":{"rendered":"Giant Panda Twins Born In China — Highly Endangered Species Still Near The Brink"},"content":{"rendered":"

A pair of giant pandas were just born at the the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Sichuan. The twins are the first pandas born this year, as far as is currently known. The highly endangered species currently numbers only about 1600 individuals in the wild, with a further 300 or so in captivity.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Image Credit: Panda Nap<\/a> via Flickr CC<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The new panda twins were born to an individual that is referred to as ‘Haizi’, by the staffers at the compound where the animal is kept. The twins were born about 10 minutes apart from one another. The staffers have reported<\/a> that “one cub is a female and weighs 79.2 grams (2.79 ounces).” And that “Haizi has yet to release the other cub from her embrace.”<\/p>\n

Giant pandas have a rather slow reproductive rate in the wild, and don’t breed easily while in captivity — being fertile only a couple of days a year. In general pandas don’t adapt particularly well to captivity — so the birth of twins is seen as being particularly good fortune.<\/p>\n