Panda and her cub seen in rare footage

CHENGDU — Infrared cameras in a nature reserve in Southwest China's Sichuan province have captured footage of a wild giant panda mother and her cub, a rare scene for the normally solitary species.

The video clips showed an adult panda strolling in the woods in the Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, with a watchful eye wandering around the environment. She was followed by a panda cub who stumbled into the cameras.

Researchers with the reserve recently found the videos while going over information collected by its cameras in the fourth quarter of this year.

"The cub is estimated to be around 1 year old. This winter may be the last one it spends with its mother," says Huang Yan, an expert from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda.

Experts note that wild giant panda cubs are usually raised by their mothers and leave their mothers to live independently after the age of 2.

The cameras have captured multiple video clips and images of giant pandas this year, which shows the species is seeing an increase in its population in the reserve.

Located in Qingchuan county, the Tangjiahe reserve is about 40,000 hectares in area and is a part of the Giant Panda National Park. It is a comprehensive nature reserve dedicated to protecting giant pandas and their habitats.

Xinhua