4 pandas born in captivity in China on same day, reports say

BEIJING (AP) - Four pandas were born in captivity in China on the same day, a rare occurrence after 34 were born in all of last year, state media reported Tuesday.
Xinhua News Agency earlier reported that three pandas had been born, but later said that Eryatou, who had delivered a female baby on Monday evening at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Centre in Sichuan province, later gave birth to a second female baby.

Earlier on Monday, Jiaozi gave birth to a male and a female at the same centre.

Chinese panda breeding centres have now reported 14 cubs born so far this year, with nine at the Chengdu centre and the others at the Wolong Giant Panda Nature Reserve, Xinhua said.

The panda is one of the rarest animals, with an estimated 1,590 living in the wild. Another 210 have been bred in captivity, Xinhua said.

Of the 34 pandas born by artificial insemination in 2006, 30 survived. Both were record figures, Xinhua said.

© The Canadian Press, 2007