Baby Giant Pandas -- 16!!!

[CJ Swartz]

One zoo in southwest China has its hands full with 16 baby pandas.

The Sichuan Wolong Panda Protection and Breed Center is dealing with the results of a breeding boom -- 16 pandas have been born since July 2005.

The brood includes five sets of twins.

The heaviest tips the scale at just over 24 pounds, while the lightest weighs about 11 pounds.

The pandas are due to stop being suckled by their mothers in February, just about the time they'll start learning to walk.

Once weaned, the panda cubs will attend panda kindergarten.

In the meantime, more little ones are expected at the center, since 38 giant pandas were artificially impregnated last spring.

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/5467191/detail.html

Update -- did you see the news item with the baby pandas playing on a slide in the snow? -- see it here --
Video -- panda kindergarden playtime -- click on "video clip" in story
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/sho...-playtime.html

[Ed_L]

I want one.

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by Ed_L

I want one.

I want one also.

BUT... I don't think it would be good for the panda,
I'm not sure I could grow enough bamboo shoots,
I'm not sure whether my HOA (homeowner's association) would approve of it,
it would probably get its nose slapped by the cats & used as a daybed by the dogs... so I guess I'll just look at pictures or get an Andy Panda toy...

http://www.pbase.com/hengliang/image/23814586
http://www.pbase.com/david_dong/panda_closeup

[CJ Swartz]

Update -- did you see the news item with the baby pandas playing on a slide in the snow? -- see it here --
Video -- panda kindergarden playtime -- click on "video clip" in story
http://www.newscientist.com/blog/sho...-playtime.html

Another version:
http://today.reuters.com/tv/videoCha...0fb186ed5682c0

[palms]

Lovely Panda's and story wish them well and hope they have plenty of luck in breeding them so they have less chance of becoming extinct

Palms