The birth of hope

The giant panda is one of the most critically endangered species in the world. China Daily shares an exclusive set of photos, showing the cubs’ growth during the first 100 days.

What's cuter than a panda cub? A group of panda cubs, all within huggable reach of one another. It is another bumper crop of artificially bred cubs at China's Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding in 2013. Fourteen of the 17 surviving babies from an original group of 20 have been put on display, (the other three are in the United States and Spain), forming the world’s biggest artificially bred panda population. Born in a span of 40 days between July and September this year, the group includes Meng Meng, the oldest and largest cub in the batch at 3.6 kilograms, and tiny Ya Yi, who is just 600 grams.

Passing the 100-day-old mark, the giant panda cub Meng Meng frolicks in the fields of the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding in China’s Sichuan province. Photo by She Yi / for China Daily