Wyn Delano
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON (WMAL) — Mei Xiang, one of the Giant Pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoo, will not give birth this year.
Scientists on the zoo’s panda team confirmed a rise in the bear progesterone levels began July 28 signaling that she would either have a cub or experience the end of a pseudopregnancy within 30 to 50 days. On September 14th, her hormone levels returned to normal, which means that there will be no panda cubs this year.
A team of reproductive scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and Zoo veterinarians had artificially inseminated Mei Xiang twice May 25, using sperm collected from Tian Tian.
Li Rengui from the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda was at the Zoo for the procedures.
The indoor panda house at the zoo was closed September 1st to provide Mei Xiang with quiet, since she shows extra sensitivity to noise during the final weeks of a pseudopregnancy or pregnancy.
With the help of specially trained volunteers from Friends of the National Zoo, the panda team began a 24-hour-a-day behavior watch on Mei Xiang beginning Sept. 5.
However, with Mei Xiang’s hormones returning to normal, the panda house will reopen and return to normal operating hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sept. 16.
At 19 years old, Mei Xiang is near the end of her reproductive life cycle, but there are pandas who have had cubs when they were older than she is now.
Copyright 2017 WMAL.com All Rights Reserved. (Photo: Smithsonian National Zoo)
