Why is the birth rate so low for giant pandas?
On September 6, 2006, 9-year-old giant panda Lun Lun gave birth to a cub. According to Zoo Atlanta, which hosts Lun Lun and her mate Yang Yang, this was only the fifth cub born in the United States since 1990. Since four United States zoos host breeding pairs of pandas, this number might seem a little low. A lot of people view breeding programs as vital to the survival of the giant panda species. However, veterinarians and researchers have not always had much success with breeding giant pandas. In captivity, many male pandas appear uninterested in mating or do not seem to know how. For example, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, the first pair of pandas to live in the United States, tried unsuccessfully to mate for 10 years. After they eventually learned to mate, they had five cubs, but none survived to adulthood. Endangered Animals
On September 6, 2006, 9-year-old giant panda Lun Lun gave birth to a cub. According to Zoo Atlanta, which hosts Lun Lun and her mate Yang Yang, this was only the fifth cub born in the United States since 1990. Since four United States zoos host breeding pairs of pandas, this number might seem a little low. A lot of people view breeding programs as vital to the survival of the giant panda species. However, veterinarians and researchers have not always had much success with breeding giant pandas. In captivity, many male pandas appear uninterested in mating or do not seem to know how. For example, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, the first pair of pandas to live in the United States, tried unsuccessfully to mate for 10 years. After they eventually learned to mate, they had five cubs, but none survived to adulthood. Endangered Animals
