Pigeon pair panda cubs born in China's Shaanxi

XI'AN - A captive giant panda gave birth to a pigeon pair of cubs in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, provincial forestry bureau said Wednesday.

The giant panda, named "Ya Ya," gave birth to a male cub weighing 110 grams and a female cub weighing 137 grams at Qinling Giant Panda Research Center on Saturday afternoon.

Ya Ya, born in 2009, has been involved in breeding and mating since 2017 but has suffered miscarriages for three consecutive years.

This year, in order to ensure successful reproduction, the research center staff carried out a series of obstetric checks and treatments for Ya Ya, which laid a good foundation for smooth birth of the cubs, the bureau said.

In 2021, the research center has witnessed the birth of four cubs, which raised the number of captive Qinling giant pandas to 36.

The Qinling giant panda is a subspecies of giant panda first recognized in 2005. It has a smaller and rounder skull, shorter snout and less fur than the more familiar Sichuan subspecies.