China Center Sees Panda Baby Boom

At the Wolong Panda Protection and Research Center in Sichuan Province, nurses are caring for two sets of twins born two days apart.
"It's amazingly gratifying and rewarding considering that not too long ago, these guys were going to be extinct," said Anna Florance, a volunteer at the center.
There were less than 1,500 giant pandas in the wild just five years ago.
Man helped shrink their natural habitat of bamboo-rich mountains. The panda's already low libido -- especially when in captivity -- also didn't help. The pandas, it turned out, were a lot more interested in playing and eating than mating.
At first, researchers tried everything to inspire panda romance, including showing videos of other pandas mating.
What eventually worked best was science and determination. By trail and error, the Wolong staff perfected the use of artificial insemination and panda pre- and post-natal care.
Now, more giant pandas born and survive at the center than anywhere else in the world.
With 180 pandas now in captivity and as many as 3,000 in the wild, researchers are moving closer to their ultimate goal: sending them home to the wild.
One was released this summer. The staff hopes to release many more in years to come.