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Panda born at Dutch zoo

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Little shrieks of excitement highlighted the first video appearance by the tiny cub of a giant panda at a Dutch zoo this week - a sure sign it now stood a solid chance of survival.

The Ouwehands Zoo, where the cub was born on May 1st, distributed the first pictures and video from the maternity den where mother Wu Wen cuddled, embraced and fed the fast-growing cub.

The release of the images also coincided with the end of the critical first days when many cubs die.

The new cub's gender won't be known until it leaves the maternity den, likely in a few months' time, with its mother.

Wu Wen and male panda Xing Ya arrived in the Netherlands from China in 2017, as part of a loan program.

The zoo said the new cub also belongs to China and can remain in the Netherlands for four years before going to China to join the breeding program there.

Around 420 pandas live in captivity in zoos and reserves, the majority within China, while an estimated 1,864 live in the wild.