Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

National Zoo's Panda Preggers?

Hormone levels suggest Mei Xiang may be expecting

By the Associated Press

Posted Jun 20, 2008 11:56 AM CDT
Email

(AP) – The National Zoo in DC says panda mother Mei Xiang is showing a spike in hormone levels, a sign that she might be pregnant again. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in March with semen from Tian Tian, the zoo's male giant panda. Hormone test results indicate Mei Xiang will either give birth or come to the end of a false pregnancy in late July.

There's no reliable pregnancy test for pandas, and this could be a false alarm. Mei Xiang gave birth to her first cub, Tai Shan, in July 2005, helping to boost zoo attendance and create numerous new panda fans. Scientists tried to artificially inseminate Mei Xiang last April but later determined she was not pregnant.

This handout photo provided by the Smithsonian's National Zoo shows Tai Shan, the two-year-old giant panda cub surveying the season's first snowfall from high in a tree in his exhibit.
This handout photo provided by the Smithsonian's National Zoo shows Tai Shan, the two-year-old giant panda cub surveying the season's first snowfall from high in a tree in his exhibit.   (AP Photo)
Male giant panda Tian Tian, left, and female giant panda Mei Xiang in their enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington in this April 24, 2007 photo.
Male giant panda Tian Tian, left, and female giant panda Mei Xiang in their enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington in this April 24, 2007 photo.   (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
National Zoo's panda Mei Xiang sleeps with her feet up in the air on a hot sunny day, Thursday, June 7, 2007, at the National Zoo in Washington.
National Zoo's panda Mei Xiang sleeps with her feet up in the air on a hot sunny day, Thursday, June 7, 2007, at the National Zoo in Washington.   (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.


More on Mei Xiang's problems conceiving
Washington Post

US • Health

 
pregnancy • breeding • Washington DC • hormones • zoo • panda • National Zoo

More Newser Stories

Beloved Panda Killed by Accidental Gassing: China

DC Panda's Pregnancy a Fake

Chinese Automaker 'Adopts' Panda Tai Shan

National Zoo's Panda Cub Heads to China

Pregnancy Boosts Awareness of Bad Vibes
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne