Chinese panda in Belgium gives birth to baby

Chinese giant panda Hao Hao gave birth to a baby panda in the early hours of Thursday, Belgian animal park Pairi Daiza and the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda announced.

"As such, every birth is a miracle," the park said, citing that there are less than 2,000 giant pandas in the world. The giant panda is on the red list of endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Hao Hao's pregnancy was made possible following artificial insemination performed on February 10 and 11 this year. Sperm was used from Xing Hui, another Chinese panda on loan from China to Belgium.

"This intervention was carried out by a Sino-Belgian team led by veterinarian Dr. Li Desheng, vice director of the China Conservation and Research Center for Giant Pandas and world expert in breeding pandas. Hao Hao comes from a fertile lineage since her mom gave birth to no less than nine babies," indicated the Belgian park.

Austria and Spain are the only two European countries that have succeeded in breeding giant pandas with Chinese help. Belgium has now become the third country to do so.

(APD)