video transcript

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL Visitors to this panda breeding facility in China got a rare Lunar New Year treat. Twelve panda cubs showed off their early skills in tree climbing … and vying for territory. Keeper Yuan Bo says these territorial battles are a natural preparation for adult life. SOUNDBITE: Yuan Bo, panda keeper, saying (Mandarin): "Pandas are solitary animals. By nature they need to protect their own territory, so this character is demonstrated from an early age." Native to central and southwestern China, twenty-one endangered giant pandas were bred in the country in 2011 -- bringing the total number of captive giant pandas bred to 333. Tara Cleary, Reuters