Giant panda cubs freshly born in 2024 were delightfully caught navigating and teetering as they practiced climbing, all under the watchful eyes of their caretakers at a breeding base in southwest China's Sichuan Province.
In footage captured at the Moonlight Delivery House and Star Giant Panda Nursery House on Oct 15 and 16, a panda cub was seen charmingly wobbling as it climbed a wooden ladder under the gentle guidance of its caretaker.
Another cub, placed on a rocking toy by its caretaker, promptly slid down before slowly crawling toward a tree, where it cutely hugged the trunk and made a determined effort to climb higher.
A different panda, supervised by its caretaker, climbed onto a thick, slanted tree trunk and settled adorably on it. Before long, it slid down and wandered off to play elsewhere.
As most of these cubs were born from July to September this year, the majority of the newborns are still under six months old.
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding is a world-renowned institution for the conservation of giant pandas. The base is famous for its work in protecting and breeding giant pandas, red pandas and other endangered wild animal species exclusive to China as well as its educational outreach programs and its role as a major tourist attraction.
Newborn panda cubs wobble cutely as they practice climbing at Sichuan base
Newborn panda cubs wobble cutely as they practice climbing at Sichuan base
Mounting uncertainty over the U.S. tariff policies under President Donald Trump's administration is fueling distress among the farmers of Iowa state, a U.S. state long regarded as the "granary and breadbasket of America," and disrupting the agricultural sector, particularly its soybean industry.
Iowa's agricultural sector is heavily export-dependent, and the U.S. abuse of tariffs has left the state's farmers uncertain about how to plan for the future amid sudden changes in policy direction.
"It has been really difficult, especially with the stress on the market since the announcement of the tariffs. Any unsold soybeans that we have now will sell at a loss. It's what does the next three years look like in this very uncertain environment with different tariff ideas every day, every week. Like how do we plan as a business for that," said farmer Corey Goodhue.
The uncertainty has pushed some farmers to shift to alternative crops like corn, which currently faces fewer trade obstacles. But the switch comes at a cost. Prices for fuel, fertilizer, and other inputs have surged under the broader tariff regime.
Grant Kimberley, a large-scale farm operator and senior director of market development for the Iowa Soybean Association, said costs are rising across the board.
"We don't ever like to see food and agriculture used as a weapon in a trade disagreement because it doesn’t do either country any good," he said.
Data from agricultural equipment manufacturers showed the cost of machinery in the United States rose 18 percent year on year in spring 2025.
The ripple effects of falling farm income are already being felt in the wider community.
"So I think the tariffs have a trickle-down effect. As for the commodity, if the farmers don't make money, then no one else benefits. John Deere ( the world's leading tractor maker) lays off employees, and this situation just works its way through the community. So small businesses are really struggling with it," said Goodhue.
Policy analysts have warned that the longer-term economic damage could extend well beyond the farm belt.
"At this point of time, it has not yet begun to bite because people have already had inventories of these goods at the lower tariff rates. But soon, at some point of time, and it will be soon that the impact will be felt at grocery store counters. We will see areas where the U.S. was very competitive losing its competitiveness, and with other suppliers taking their position," said Sourabh Gupta, senior Asia-Pacific policy specialist at the Institute for China-America Studies.
US tariff policy turmoil threatens Iowa's farmers, disrupting exports
