We are nearing the end of breeding season for the pandas and will soon be approaching the highly anticipated cub season. Pandas are usually born in the late summer, from July to September with the peak usually in August. Scientists believe that in the wild, panda cubs usually stay with their mothers for a year and a half to two years.   They feed off only their mother’s milk until about 6 months old, then they begin to incorporate bamboo into their diet. By this age, they are great at running around by themselves.

Three of the cubs in the Panda Kindergarten.

Of course, the kindergarten is one of our favorite places to visit! We’ve been closely observing these cubs since we arrived in February and they seem have grown so much from that time! At the Bifengxia Panda Kindergarten, there are currently 8 panda cubs. They can be found napping several meters high up in a tree, rolling around with plastic balls and toys, and playfully fighting with their fellow bear cubs.

The cubs can be very active when they are not napping.

Its difficult to tell the cubs apart but but we’ve been able to verify that Xi Dou’s cub and Mei Xi’s twins are among the eight.

Two cubs bonding and playing.

Although there is plenty to do now during the breeding season, I can’t help but wish we could also have the chance to witness the maternal care of the babies. That just means I’ll have to come back!

-Gigi Bañales

Photo Credits: Hope Maxwell