Newborn giant pandas are born completely helpless and unrecognizable from their adult counterparts, being pink, bald, blind, wrinkly, and around the size of a stick of butter. They are unable to walk, regulate their body temperature, hear, crawl, hold themselves up, or eliminate waste on their own. As a result, they rely entirely on their mothers for care and survival. Panda mothers must cradle their babies to keep them warm and stimulate their muscles to release bodily waste by rubbing their bellies. National Geographic notes that during the early weeks, panda mothers remain with their cubs constantly, foregoing eating and drinking to attend to their needs.
When giant pandas give birth to twins, the mother often has to choose one offspring to care for and will abandon the weaker twin. In captivity, caretakers may intervene by switching the abandoned twin with the mother to ensure both cubs receive maternal care and feeding. The Washington Post notes that adult pandas may abandon their offspring if they detect unfamiliar scents, which can be problematic for breeding in a zoo setting. This can occur if the babies have been handled by humans. Although it’s unclear why and how Min Min and her baby were separated, their reunion, as reported by BBC Earth, was heartwarming nonetheless.
Min Min’s baby was being cared for by human caretakers who kept her warm in an incubator. Although the baby had sprouted some white hairs, her eyes remained closed. However, the caretakers deemed her healthy enough to be reunited with her mother, despite concerns about whether Min Min had had enough time to bond with her offspring and the fact that she carried the scent of humans.
When the two were brought together in a room with tiled walls, a smooth stone floor, and a handful of grass to eat, the baby cried and tried to run to Min Min, but the mother showed little interest. The caretakers tried to make Min Min more comfortable and eventually, her maternal instincts kicked in, and she picked up the baby in her mouth and cradled and cuddled it until it stopped crying. The staff breathed a sigh of relief that mother and child were finally reunited.