Hopes that the giant panda Mei Xiang will soon deliver a cub were bolstered Monday when Smithsonian’s National Zoo tweeted that its veterinarians had spied “exciting movements” during an ultrasound. “We hope to have a healthy cub in the coming days!” the Zoo wrote.
🐼🐾 Keep your paws crossed! Today, Zoo veterinarians saw exciting movements during giant panda Mei Xiang’s ultrasound. Her fetus was kicking + swimming in the amniotic fluid, and its spine + blood flow were visible. We hope to have a healthy cub in the coming days! #PandaStory pic.twitter.com/kcTcHGvonI
— National Zoo (@NationalZoo) August 17, 2020
Mei Xiang’s surprise possible pregnancy was discovered last Friday. Don Neiffer, the Zoo’s chief veterinarian, told the Washington Post there could even be two fetuses.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
