Giant panda Shin Shin gives birth to first cub in five years at Tokyo zoo
Shin Shin had earlier given birth in 2012 - the first time at the zoo in 24 years, but the cub died from pneumonia six days later
A Japanese zoo celebrated the first birth of a baby panda in five years Monday, with the tiny cub small enough to fit in the palm of a human hand.
Eleven-year-old mum Shin Shin gave birth just before noon, officials at Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo said in a statement.
Pandas are born pink, hairless and weigh around 100 grams - so small it can be difficult to determine their sex.
“There have been cases where the sex of a panda has been wrongly determined several years after its birth,” a spokesman said.
Shin Shin, who mated with male Ri Ri in February, had earlier given birth in 2012 - the first time at the zoo in 24 years, but the cub died from pneumonia six days later.
