An 18-year-old panda, Jiaozi, became the oldest panda in the world to conceive three cubs this year, only one of which was born alive last month.

As she slowly eats bamboo, Jiaozi, also one of the oldest pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Sichuan province, looks no different from her peers.

Yet less than 20 days ago, the 18-year-old who is the equivalent of a 50-year-old in human terms, almost died after her labor from Aug 18 to 21.