Jenn Schultz
WMAL.com
Washington — (WMAL) There could be another baby panda coming to the National Zoo soon. Mei Xiang, the Zoo’s 18-year-old female panda, is showing signs of estrus, or being in heat.
Mei Xiang has been increasingly restless, pacing her enclosure, and calling out to the Zoo’s male panda, Tian Tian, along with showing a rise in her estrogen levels, according to Zoo scientists.
But for female pandas, there is only a small window of time between the start of estrus and being able to conceive. In a race against time, scientists will need to breed Mei Xiang within 24 to 72 of ovulation to ensure pregnancy. Scientists will try to have them breed naturally but will use artificial insemination if necessary, says National Zoo spokeswoman Annalisa Meyer.
According to a National Zoo news release, it will take several months of waiting after breeding to determine if she becomes pregnant. However, it is difficult to determine pregnancy because panda fetuses are too small for immediate ultrasound detection and pandas can undergo pseudopregnancy, or acting pregnant without carrying a fetus.
Mei Xiang is already a mother to three cubs—Tai Shan; Bao Bao; and Bei Bei. If she becomes pregnant during the May breeding season, her baby will most likely be born in late September.
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