Baby Pandas - Interesting Things You May Not Know
The giant panda is cute and big but their newborn babies are so tiny. The panda babies’ survival rate is so low. The best place to see baby pandas is Chengdu's Panda Breeding Center.
1. Baby Pandas are Mainly Born in Aug. – Sep.
Baby pandas usually are usually born from August to September. Pandas fall in love from March to May each year. Their gestation period is 83 – 200 days. Mother pandas usually give birth to babies in August and September each year.
2. The Baby was born as Tiny as a Mouse
The newborn panda is so tiny about the size of a standard hotdog. The average weight is 100g (0.2 pounds), and about two eggs weigh only 1/900 of their mother’s weight.
3. Panda Baby was Born Blind and Pink
They are born helplessly blind (their eyes are "sealed") and toothless with only a very light "down" of fine white hair that cannot conceal their tiny, fragile, and pink-skinned bodies.
4. The Survival Rate for Baby Pandas in the Wild is Less than 50%
The newborn panda infant makes great demands on its mother for the next several weeks, as it must be nursed a dozen or so times in a 24-hour cycle, and from 15-30 minutes at a time.
Since the giant panda infant is helpless (it cannot grip firmly enough to hold onto the mother's fur, most of its energy goes toward suckling, and its bones are too soft to support it), the mother panda cannot take the infant with her when she feeds, therefore she must leave it in the den for up to 4 hours at a time, where it is vulnerable to predators.
5. Half of the Baby Pandas are Twins
Mother pandas usually give birth to two babies each time, but only the stronger one can survive in the wild. Mothers don’t have enough milk to feed two babies. She usually takes care of one and abandons the weaker one.
6. Babies Grow to the Looking of a Panda in One Month
Their black hairs are denser and white hairs also grow for a while. About 1 month old, the baby cub has developed into its distinctive black and white look that is a mini version of the final color pattern that will characterize the adult panda (the color markings of every panda are unique, even if the dark patches always occur in certain given areas). But they are still small, just about 2 kilograms.
7. Panda Cubs Eat Their Mothers’ Feces
Giant pandas mainly eat bamboo but bamboo is hard to bite and not easy to digest. In the wild, the panda cubs need to eat their mothers’ feces to get the nutrients they need.
8. Pandas Live Independently when They are 18 Months Old
Baby pandas start to eat bamboo when they are 7-9 months old. They stay with their mothers until they are 18 months old. After that, pandas begin to live independently.
9. The Best Place to See Baby Pandas is in Chengdu, China
You can see baby pandas at Chengdu Panda Breeding Center in late August and December.
10. Baby Pandas Love to Swing
Panda babies love to swing. They also like to play on the slide, climb trees and play with swing tires.
11. Panda Cubs can’t Poop on Their Own
Panda cubs can’t excrete waste on their own in the first few weeks of their birth. Their mothers have to help them by licking their bellies to help them defecate. They can poop on their own when they are around 130 days old.
12. Baby Pandas' Growing Process is Interesting but Difficult
Pandas’ growing process is interesting but very difficult. They are easy to get sick and die.
At birth, they are so tiny about the size of a standard hotdog. The average weight is 100g (0.2 pounds), about two eggs' weight and only 1/900 of their mother’s weight.
About 10 Days Old
Their black hairs start to grow on their ears, shoulders, legs, chests, and around their eyes. They like to put themself up with their forelimbs. About 1 Month Old
Their black hairs are denser and white hairs also grow for a while. About 1 month old, the baby cub has developed into its distinctive black and white look that is a mini version of the final color pattern that will characterize the adult panda (the color markings of every panda are unique, even if the dark patches always occur in certain given areas). But they are still small, just about 2 kilograms.
About 2 Months Old
The giant panda infant will first open its eyes after a period of six to eight weeks and start to grow teeth.
About 3 to 4 Months Old
They can walk for about one meter but stagger and sometimes fall over. They like to crawl on the back of their mother. If they fall down, they will quickly crawl on their mothers ‘backs again. Their weight reaches 6 kilograms.
About 6 Months Old
They still need to suckle but begin to take some solid food, like bamboo already. After 6 months, their growth process runs faster.
About one Year Old
The cub will eventually spend more and more time eating bamboo alongside its mother. At the age of one, a normal panda cub will weigh a healthy 45 kilograms (ca.100 lbs), with males weighing slightly more than females, and this gender spread only intensifies thereafter, with fully adult males weighing up to 15% more than females.
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