Mating and the Life Cycle
Giant Pandas breed between March and May. The female shows signs of wanting to mate by groaning and bleating to attract a male. After carrying her cubs in her womb for around five months, the female Giant Panda gives birth to one or two cubs in a hollow tree or cave. Panda cubs are very weak at birth. They are just 15cm long and weigh only 100g. They are also blind and hairless for the first few days of their life. They don't start crawling until they are just under three months old. A female can transport her cub by making it ride on her back until it is 6 months old and then it should be able to trot beside her. Panda Bear cubs wean when they are around a year old but don't leave their mother until they are 18 months old. Some pandas stay with their mother for a few years until she becomes pregnant, then they have to find a territory for themselves.