Panda Pandemonium August 21, 2012

US zoo on 'Panda watch'

Officials at Washington's Smithsonian National Zoological Park are on pregnancy watch with the hope that a female giant panda could give birth soon.

Giant Panda Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in April after attempts to get her to naturally breed with the male panda Tian Tian failed.

Carers at the zoo say her hormone's levels have increased and they are hopeful that this is a positive sign of pregnancy.

''We have to pretty much treat this as if it's truth birth, or a true pregnancy just because there are so many unknowns you don't want to come in one day and get caught off guard and go 'oh wow, she has a cub' so every time we do the natural breeding or the attempt of natural breeding and the artificial insemination and we automatically in our head prepare or that day if it were to arrive and we hope for the best,'animal keeper Juan Rodriguez told Rueters.

Reuters reported that the hormone levels in her urine suggest she is either 40 or 50 days away from giving birth or is experiencing her sixth pseudopregnancy since 2007.

Pseudopregnancy is a common occurrence in giant pandas and occur when a female exhibits signs and symptoms of a pregnancy.

Zoo officials say the chance of an actual pregnancy for Mei Xiang is less than 10 percent.

Observers say she is currently building a nest out of bamboo, is less active, and spending more time sleeping which are all positive signs.

More Pandemonium @ Panda.Chariweb.Com



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