China debuts 23 panda cubs

CHENGOU, China - Chinese officials have released footage of the debut of twenty three panda cubs.

It happened in the central China city of Chengou, home of the panda breeding research facility.

Officials saying that the 27 pandas born this year, the 23 shown in the video, along with four cubs born elsewhere to pandas on loan from the center, doubles the number of babies born last year.

A breakthrough in captive breeding techniques is to blame, say scientists.

The panda also recently hit another milestone--its been upgraded from 'endangered' to 'vulnerable' by the international trade union of conservation.