CHENGDU (XINHUA) – A female giant panda cub weighing 270.4 grammes became the world’s heaviest captive panda newborn ever registered, a panda research centre in southwest China’s Sichuan Province said.
Cuicui, a 16-year-old panda, gave birth to the cub at the Wolong Shenshuping panda base at 9.39pm on August 5, breaking the previous birth weight record of 249 grammes held by a panda born in 2021, according to the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda.
The cub’s delivery process was worrisome as it took Cuicui a long time to exhibit any labour reaction after her water broke, according to Cheng Jianbin, Cuicui’s keeper.
“We were all worried that she would have a difficult labour and that the cub could be in danger of an oxygen shortage,” Cheng said. “Cuicui paced back and forth in the ‘delivery room’ and appeared agitated. Worried as we were, we could only monitor and observe her around the clock, waiting quietly and keeping her company.”
The baby panda was eventually born nearly 40 hours after Cuicui’s water broke. “We didn’t expect Cuicui to give us such a big surprise, giving birth to a ‘heavyweight’ baby,” Cheng said.
The last time Cuicui gave birth was in 2018, and all her previous cubs weighed over 200 grammes, Cheng said, adding that Cuicui is extremely maternal and good at taking care of her young.
Director of the Wolong Shenshuping panda base under the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Panda Wei Rongping, said the centre selected pandas for breeding in March as spring is a typical mating season for the species.
Since June, six pandas at the centre have given birth to cubs. The centre has welcomed 11 new cubs so far, with five pairs of twins.
