NATION : Panda Ling-Ling Has Her 4th Cub; Zoo Hopes This One Will Survive
Giant panda Ling-Ling gave birth to a tiny cub in the National Zoo today and zoo officials hoped that it will be the first newborn panda to survive infancy in the United States.
Both the celebrated panda and her baby “appear to be doing well” after the morning birth, said zoo spokesman Mike Morgan.
“Within moments of giving birth, Ling-Ling picked up the tiny pinkish-white cub, licked it, and cradled it in her forepaws,” Morgan said. Doctors said the 4-ounce cub, about the size of a stick of butter, had “vocalized in the boisterous manner typical of newborn pandas.”
The cub’s sex was not yet known because doctors were unsure whether or when they should pull the cub away from Ling-Ling to check its health.
None of Ling-Ling’s previous three offspring survived. One pregnancy ended in stillbirth, another cub lived for three hours, and another survived for just three days. The cub was sired by Hsing-Hsing, Ling-Ling’s mate in the zoo’s Giant Panda Pen.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
