This year there have been a record number of panda births in captivity. The number has just recently made it to 19, with the birth of twins!
This passed the record number of births, which previously was 18 in 2006.
Researchers believe this increase is due to better information on panda nutrition, artificial insemination, genetics and their natural habitat.
Pandas in the wild are severely threatened by a loss of habitat and poaching. Also, they do not have cubs very often, only one about every 2-3 years.
The fertility rates of the pandas in captivity had been much lower than those in the wild, however since artificial insemination they have been able to increase the number of pandas in captivity to more than 300.
Before the success of artificial insemination, breeders overseas had been trying many different things to get the pandas to mate…one even involved showing male pandas “panda porn!” LOL!!
This is great news, since pandas are one of the populations that have been decreasing in size!
[Image via Getty Images.]
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