Four Giant Panda Cubs were born in a Chinese Panda Breeding Center within 14 hours yesterday. The newborns are a very welcome addition to the endangered whose population currently numbers at most a mere 3,000 bears worldwide with only 1,600 of those living in the wild.

The Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center was a busy place with Qiyuan, or Magic Luck, giving birth to twin female cubs, followed by Chenggong, or Success, having one cub a little over an hour and a half later and Zhuzhu, or Pearl, giving birth about 11 hours after, the following morning.

The births couldn’t have come at a better time for the embattled Giant Panda population. China’s recent devastating earthquake in Sichuan Province put many of the beloved bears at risk, with many Pandas needing to be relocated from Wolong National Nature Reserve, China’s most famous Panda Preserve, for their safety.

Read the rest of this entry »

The disastrous earthquake that struck Central China last week buried 32 sources of radiation according to the Xinhua state media network. According to a French nuclear expert the radioactive sources most likely came from hospitals, factories and research facilities and not from weapons.

The Chinese Government had previously stated that all nuclear facilities in danger of being affected by the May 12th quake were safe and under control. Now Xinhua says that all but two had been recovered, and that those remaining had been cordoned off and would be soon transported to a safe location

Read the rest of this entry »

It’s May 16th, I’m Gina Telaroli and this is TakePart.com’s look at the week in social action…

Central China was hit with a devastating earthquake today measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale. The quake is the worst to strike the world’s most populous country in decades. The state-run Xinhua News Agency currently estimates over 8,500 people have perished as a result of the disaster, tragically including 900 students who were trapped under the rubble of their collapsed school.

The epicenter of the quake was in Sichuan province, in the hilly region of the Middle Kingdom leading up to the Tibetan plateau, but its force caused skyscrapers in Shanghai and Taipei to sway. The shockwaves were felt as far away as Thailand and Vietnam. You can view video of the quake shot by a student in Sichuan province after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »