Giant Panda Photos
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Aug. 11, 2008: Mei Xiang will not give birth
June 20, 2008: Giant Panda Ultrasound
March 19, 2008: Giant Panda Artificial Insemination
Mei Xiang will not give birth — Aug. 13, 2008 |
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After months of close monitoring, staff at the National Zoo announced today that giant panda Mei Xiang will not give birth to a cub this year. National Zoo staff believe that Mei Xiang either experienced a pseudopregnancy or the loss of a developing fetus—a common occurrence in mammals.
Photo Credit Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date June 20, 2008
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While veterinarians detected small changes in Mei Xiang’s uterus and keepers noticed maternal behaviors, scientists at the National Zoo have now confirmed that there will not be a panda cub this year. Having experienced either a pseudopregnancy or the loss of a developing fetus, Mei Xiang will not give birth and will soon return to “normal” both hormonally and behaviorally.
Photo Credit Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date June 20, 2008
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Giant panda ultrasound — June 20, 2008 |
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National Zoo Veterinarian Carlos Sanchez performs an ultrasound on giant panda Mei Xiang on May 7, 2008 at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. Zoo veterinarians conduct weekly ultrasounds on Mei Xiang to monitor any changes in her reproductive tract and look for evidence of a fetus. So far, the ultrasounds have not shown evidence of one. Because panda fetuses do not start developing until the last weeks of a gestation period, Zoo veterinarians say they do not yet expect to see a fetus.
Photo Credit Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date June 20, 2008
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National Zoo Veterinarian Carlos Sanchez performs an ultrasound on giant panda Mei Xiang on May 7, 2008 at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. Scientists at the Zoo detected a secondary rise in urinary progestin levels in the Zoo’s female giant panda Mei Xiang on June 16. This hormone rise is an indicator to Zoo scientists that it should be 40 to 50 days before Mei Xiang either gives birth to a cub or comes to the end of a pseudo pregnancy, or false pregnancy, which is common in giant pandas.
Photo Credit Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date June 20, 2008
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Giant panda artificial insemination — March 19, 2008 |
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National Zoo Reproductive Scientists Copper Aitken-Palmer (L), JoGayle Howard and Pierre Comizzoli perform an artificial insemination on giant panda Mei Xiang on March 19 at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat. She and the Zoo’s male panda, Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN) were brought together on March 18 to allow the two to mate naturally. After keeping the two pandas together throughout the day, staff at the Fujifilm Giant Panda Habitat determined that natural mating was unsuccessful. Zoo scientists then decided to perform an artificial insemination.
Photo Credit Jessie Cohen/Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Date March 19, 2008
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Contact
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