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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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DC Zoo's Panda on Pregnancy Watch

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(Newser) – The National Zoo’s female giant panda may be pregnant, the Washington Post reports. Volunteers are monitoring Mei Xiang around the clock after zookeepers noticed behavioral changes that indicate the mom to celebu-panda Tai Shan is expecting, including creating a bamboo den in a dark and quiet place, and cradling food and other objects. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in January; if she is pregnant, the cub should come within 3 weeks.

Mei Xiang.
Mei Xiang.   (AP Photo)
Male giant panda Tian Tian, left, and female giant panda Mei Xiang in their enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington.
Male giant panda Tian Tian, left, and female giant panda Mei Xiang in their enclosure at the National Zoo in Washington.   (AP Photo)
Tai Shan, the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, with his mother Mei Xiang in 2005.
Tai Shan, the giant panda cub at the Smithsonian's National Zoo, with his mother Mei Xiang in 2005.   (AP Photo)
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