World's lightest panda cub born in Chengdu

Female cub Cheng Lang weighed only 42.8 grams when she was born on June 11 at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu.

As the world's lightest panda, Cheng Lang had the weight of an average chicken egg.

Panda cubs usually weigh around 150 grams, according to the base's chief, Zhang Zhihe.

As it is demanding to raise particularly light cubs, the base has established a panel of experts proficient in nursing cubs to attend to Cheng Lang around the clock.

Cheng Lang is in stable conditions and can drink milk directly from her mother, while the cub's daily food intake is 100-120 grams, Zhang said.

Cheng Lang has a twin sister, who weighed 171.9 grams at birth.

Cheng Lang was less than one-quarter the weight of her elder sister and measured only two-thirds as long, Zhang said.

But she is slowly narrowing the gap, he said.

Before Cheng Lang, the world's lightest panda cub was Wuyi, a male panda weighing 51 grams when he was born on Aug 7, 2006 in the Chengdu base.