Giant Panda Bai Yun Bears 6th Cub

At 2:10 pm on Sunday, Giant panda Bai Yun gave birth to her sixth cub at the San Diego Zoo, becoming the second-oldest panda to give birth on record.

 

The 20-year-old also set a record for most pandas birthed at a breeding facility outside of China.

 

The cub is the fifth produced with Bai Yun’s mate Gao Gao; Bai Yun’s first offspring was artificially inseminated. Four of the cubs are currently in China per loan-agreement with the government.

 

The panda’s advanced aged worried zookeepers, but the cub was born after three hours of labor.

 

[Meg Sutherland-Smith, Associate Director of Veterinary Services]:

"Within 30 seconds we heard that cub vocalize and I was just in shock. I was so happy.”

 

Newborn pandas weigh an average of 4 ounces, and are hairless and pink.

 

The sex of the unnamed newborn will not be known for a few months. 

 

The pair will not be on display at the zoo for the time being, as well, though they can be viewed online at the San Diego Zoo’s Panda Cam.

 

With the cub, the San Diego Zoo now has four giant pandas, the most for zoos in the US.