It’s been a while since D.C. had a panda cub around, but some good news out of the National Zoo may soon change that.
Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated at the National Zoo on Sunday. She has been under close watch for some time now and entered breeding season earlier this month.
Her keepers knew it was time when they noticed she was showing hormonal changes, such as restlessness and scent-marking. Female giant pandas only have 24 to 72 hours to become pregnant once they enter this phase, so the team acted quickly to begin the process. Tian Tian would be the proud dad if it all works out.
Mei Xiang is 21 years old and because giant pandas can breed into their early 20s, the team is hopeful the pregnancy will be a success, but won’t know for sure until they’re able to see whether there’s a fetus.
Veterinarians will conduct ultrasounds to track changes in Mei Xiang’s reproductive tract to determine if she is pregnant over the next several months.
The carefully planned procedure is critical to the 47-year conservation program at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, and extra precautions were taken due to coronavirus concerns.
“Our team carefully planned this procedure with the safety of staff and Mei Xiang as the number one priority, taking extra precautions due to COVID-19,” said Steven Monfort, John and Adrienne Mars director of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
The zoo is closed, but panda fans can still keep up with the hopeful parents-to-be online.
