It's mother and cub, though. In the wild you'd never have the sire, or any unrelated adult, near a cub. They're solitary animals for most of the year and enter others' territories only briefly for mating; then the males split and leave the females to rear the cub alone.
I remember the first time I saw a cat pick up and move a kitten with her mouth; I couldn't believe the kitten was undamaged. But youngsters always have a way of letting mom know if they're frightened or hurting (or if mom sits on them accidentally). A very young and helpless panda cub can let out a bellow you wouldn't believe, just to say it's hungry.
I remember the first time I saw a cat pick up and move a kitten with her mouth; I couldn't believe the kitten was undamaged. But youngsters always have a way of letting mom know if they're frightened or hurting (or if mom sits on them accidentally). A very young and helpless panda cub can let out a bellow you wouldn't believe, just to say it's hungry.