3 panda cubs born in Shaanxi Province

Three panda cubs were born in northwest China's Shaanxi Province last week, the provincial forestry department said Thursday.

Photo taken on June 17, 2017 shows twin male panda cubs whose mother is Ai Bang at Shaanxi Rare Wild Animals Rescue and Breeding Research Center in northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The provincial forestry department said Thursday that fourteen-year-old panda Yang Yang gave birth to a male cub on June 11 and Ai Bang gave birth to twin male cubs on June 12 at the Center. (Xinhua)

Fourteen-year-old Yang Yang gave birth to a male cub on June 11 at Shaanxi Rare Wild Animals Rescue and Breeding Research Center. As of Wednesday, the cub weighed 320 grams.

Another panda at the center, Ai Bang, gave birth to twin male cubs on June 12. The weight of each cub has already surpassed 230 grams.

Ma Qingyi, vet at the center, said neither Yang Yang nor Ai Bang are first time mothers so they are both experienced in taking care of their cubs. The three cubs are all in good conditions.

Ma said two other female pandas at the center are expected to deliver soon.

There are currently 22 captive giant pandas and 345 wild pandas in Shaanxi. The wild pandas' habitats cover more than 360,000 hectares and have been significantly expanded, according to statistics from the provincial forestry department.

Giant pandas are one of the world's most endangered species and live mainly in the mountains of northern Sichuan Province as well as southern Gansu and Shaanxi provinces. A national survey released in February 2015 showed that as of the end of 2013, China had 1,864 wild pandas and 375 living in captivity.