The first three months of a panda bear’s life
The first three months of a panda bear’s life
A baby panda’s growing process is interesting but very difficult, because they are extremely fragile and can easily get sick and die. At breeding centers, 90% of baby pandas can survive nowadays, compared to no more than 30% in the 1960s. The Giant Panda is an endangered species. According to the latest report, China has 239 giant pandas in captivity (128 of them in Wolong and 67 in Chengdu), and another 27 pandas living outside the country.
April to May is the breeding season. Female and male pandas will have their rare moments together. After May, they drift apart. When the female one is 4-5 months pregnant, she will be anxious to find a hollow tree or cave as the delivery room. When the cub is born, she will raise her baby by herself.
The newborn’s weight only about 150g (0.33 pounds), which is approximately one thousandth of their mothers’ weight. One month after birth, they will weigh 2kg (4.4 pounds), then reach 5-6kg two months later. According to existing records, the smallest newborn cub was only 51g (0.11 pound) and the biggest one weighed 247g (0.54 pound).