Little Chance of Panda Cub at National Zoo
Officials do not think there will be a pregnant panda this year at the National Zoo.
“It looks as though Tian Tian and Mei Xiang did not breed this year,” said assistant curator Lisa Stevens. According to zoo officials, the pair had tried to mate several times since Friday.
By late Sunday, zoo officials believed Mei Xiang was no longer in heat. Pandas come into heat only once a year, and the female is receptive to her male companion’s advances for only two or three days.
Stevens said that if the panda pair were unsuccessful again next spring, the zoo would look at other fertility options.
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