Li Guanghan, director of the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Research Center in southwest China's Sichuan province, said the center has seen the birth to 30 giant pandas since its founding. It bred six giant pandas this year alone, and another eight are expected to be born next year.

The center, the biggest giant panda breeding base in the world, has set a goal of having 300 giant pandas bred artificially by the year 2050.

The giant panda is among the most endangered species in the world, with only 1,000 living in the wild.

A giant panda only conceives one or two babies each year. Many newborn cubs are often abandoned by the mother if she cannot feed or take care of two cubs at once.

The research center initiated a program from 1991-1997 to save baby pandas by artificial breeding. However, in the early stages of the program, six panda cubs died.

The death of some of the baby pandas was due to mixing different milk ingredients, said Zhang Guiquan, assistant director with the center.

After tests and experiments, experts changed the milk for feeding panda cubs in 1998 which proved successful in the survival of all five cubs.

Another important breeding center at the Wolong Natural Reserve also reported a record survival rate this year. A total of 12 cubs were born through artificial breeding.

(People’s Daily 11/16/2000)