France sees first-ever panda birth, and death

PARIS – A giant panda in a French zoo has given birth to twins, the first-ever panda birth in France, but one died soon after birth.

The Beauval Zoo southwest of Paris said panda Huan Huan bore twins late Friday night but despite efforts by panda experts from China to care for the firstborn, it did not survive. It said the mother is taking close care of the surviving second-born cub.

Huan Huan was artificially inseminated from partner Yuan Zi, both of whom are at Beauval on a 10-year loan from China.

The zoo set up cameras to broadcast live images from the mother’s room until the baby is safe to show to visitors.

There are only about 1,800 pandas in the wild in China and about 400 in captivity worldwide.