Rare giant panda born in Belgium

  • 02/06/2016
The zoo issued a photograph of the pink, blind, hairless cub (Pairi Daiza park / Facebook)
The zoo issued a photograph of the pink, blind, hairless cub (Pairi Daiza park / Facebook)

A giant panda has given birth in a Belgian zoo, its keepers say, marking a rare event for the endangered species.

The Pairi Daiza park said in a statement on Thursday that the cub was born overnight to six-year-old Hao Hao and her mate Xing Hui.

The zoo co-operated with Chinese experts to treat the mother by artificial insemination.

A spokeswoman declined to specify the sex or name of the newborn, saying there would further statements later in the day.

The zoo issued a photograph of the pink, blind, hairless cub, just a few inches long, being held in its mother's jaws.

Her "probable" pregnancy was announced just two weeks ago, accompanied by caution about detecting the tiny foetus.

There are estimated to be fewer than 2000 giant pandas surviving in the wild and several dozen in captivity. In Europe, giant pandas have only given birth in Austria and Spain, the last in Madrid in 2013.

Reuters