23-year-old giant panda gives birth to twins
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E-mail Xinhua, August 3, 2017
A 23-year-old giant panda has delivered twins in southwest China's Sichuan Province, becoming the oldest panda to ever give birth, a breeding center said Thursday.
The age of 23 for giant pandas is equal to 80 years for a human.
The mother, Haizi, gave birth to a 175-gram female and a 123.1-gram male on July 30 at Shenshuping protection base in Wolong National Nature Reserve, according to the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Center.
Haizi became pregnant after mating with a panda called Yibao in April.
To take care of the senior pregnant panda, the center allocated a special vet and breeder and tailored a breeding program for her, said Li Desheng, a panda zoologist with the center.
Haizi also delivered a pair of twins when she was 19 years old.
As of Thursday, 21 panda cubs had been born in the center this year, including seven pairs of twins.
Summer is the peak season for giant panda reproduction.
