The Panda Cub Swap
It takes a lot of work to bring a panda cub into the world. They are born with delicate pink skin, they’re unable to see, unable to walk—and even unable to go to the bathroom without help! It’s so much work that panda mamas can only take care of one cub at a time.
So when Zoo Atlanta’s beloved giant panda, Lun Lun, surprised everyone by having twins, the zoo staff had to pitch in. They made a plan to share parenting duties with Lun Lun. Every few hours the zoo staff swapped the cubs between Lun Lun and their workroom to make sure the cubs got equal time with mom. It was hard work, and Lun Lun didn’t even know she had twins!
The cubs ate and slept, opened their eyes, and grew beautiful black and white coats. Fans watching around the world submitted name ideas for the cubs. Everyone cheered as the cubs took their first steps.
As the cubs grew larger and more independent, excitement grew about their upcoming reunion. Would Lun Lun accept them when she finally met them both? Luckily, for Lun Lun, motherhood came naturally.
Beth Bacon is a well-known author of books for young readers. She has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, a MA in Media Ecology from New York University, and a BA in Literature from Harvard University. Illustrator Anne Belov lives on an island in the Puget Sound, surrounded by tall trees and the occasional grove of bamboo. Her love of pandas came early in life, via stuffed pandas and books about them.
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