Giant panda Shin Shin starts breastfeeding her newborn cub at Ueno zoo

Shin Shin, the giant panda at Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens, has started breastfeeding her newborn cub, zoo officials said.

The 11-year-old panda gave birth on June 12, and is apparently responding to her cub in a typical maternal manner, by breastfeeding, cradling, and sleeping together with the newborn panda. A spokesperson from the zoo has commented that Shin Shin "has entered a conventional cycle of raising a cub."

According to the zoo, Shin Shin continued to cradle her cub after giving birth at around noon on June 12, but showed no signs of going to sleep. However, the giant panda did eventually nod off -- from around lunch time on June 13.

It has been observed that whenever the cub appears to be unstable, it cries out, "Gya, gya," but soon stops crying once Shin Shin changes her cradling position.

In addition, it has been confirmed that the cub started feeding on Shin Shin's breasts in the evening on June 12.