Panda nannies and their 'babies'

There is a group of panda nannies working at the Chengdu Research Base for Giant Panda Breeding that care for panda cubs like their own children, Sichuan Daily reported.

Duan Dongqiong, 39, has worked at the base for 18 years. She is now the leader of a five-person team responsible for helping female pandas to become pregnant and give birth. Duan's team also looks after panda cubs.

According to Duan, working in the breeding room is often quite fun, since the panda cubs are cute and fluffy. The 14 panda cubs born last year have grown significantly, but all are still chubby and pleasing. Duan and her colleagues are able to differentiate the cubs based on the coloring around their eyes and shoulders.

The panda nannies' daily work include releasing giant pandas from their rooms, preparing food, feeding the pandas, training the pandas and cleaning the area in which the pandas live. They also have to strictly monitor the physical well-being of their charges.