Date:   4/17/2006 10:22:26 PM ( 18 y ago)
Popularity:   message viewed 774 times
URL:   http://www.curezone.org/blogs/c/fm.asp?i=994710

Everything You Need to Know about the Giant Panda: Great website!
http://www.giantpandabear.com/

Found the information: go to above website, and click on "Breeding giant pandas"--information all about captive breeding in China. Apparently, mother pandas have twins 1/2 of the time, and some mothers abandon one of the twins while nurturing and raising the other one. The abandoned baby has to be raised by humans for survival. The research center that I think these photos may be from, Wolong Panda Reserve, has tried a new approach: they let the mother nurse and cuddle one baby, then switch the infant with the abandoned twin, so that the second baby can get some of the mother's milk and cuddling, too. Both babies get some mother's milk and nurturing, and are supplemented by formula and attention from humans. This helps insure that both babies will survive. Sometimes the mother panda gets confused and avoids her baby altogether; then the researchers either have to raise the baby totally by humans or try and "train" the mother panda to take care of her baby herself.

Love, LL
 

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