The cub died suddenly after its mother just breastfed it.

The cub was immediately taken out and found to be not breathing, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

A veterinarian confirmed its death and an autopsy later showed no abnormality in its organs.

The cub was born to nine-year-old female Aibang on Friday, making it the first panda born this year, and it was cared for by its own mother from then on.

Staff at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding had been monitoring the cub around the clock and said there had been nothing wrong with its temperature, feces and diet in the first four days after its birth.

The panda cub grew from 145 to 172 grams during this period.

The breeding centre said the sudden death is very rare among pandas reared in captivity and bears some similarities with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) among humans.

The cubs organs have been sent to a lab for further analysis and staff at the breeding center are comforting the mother. PTI KJV AJR AKJ AJR