Giant Panda Update from National Zoo

[ehrnst]

From an email sent from the Zoo to supporters:

"We still don’t know definitively what caused us to lose the giant panda cub yesterday, but we do have some more information since yesterday, especially from the necropsy (animal autopsy).

The giant panda cub appeared to be a female. She weighed a little less than 100 grams, which is about four ounces. There were no signs of trauma, external or internal, which means that she was not crushed—confirmation that Mei is a good mother. Her heart and lungs also looked good, which tells us that she did not suffocate. There was a little milk in the cub’s gastrointestinal tract, which tells us that she did successfully nurse. The only abnormalities the veterinarians have detected so far were some fluid in her abdomen and a slightly abnormal liver. They don’t know yet whether either of those things is significant, and they’re still investigating.

The panda team continues to monitor Mei Xiang, and will until she returns to her normal behavior. She appeared to sleep well last night. Watchers did notice her cradling an object, as she did before to the birth of the cub. We believe this is an expression of her natural mothering instinct.

Mei is moving around well this morning, and the panda team was able to weigh her. She weighs 217 pounds, which is less than her regular weight but perfectly normal for a mother who hasn’t eaten in a while. (Mei had not left her den in over a week.) She ate a little this morning and drank some water. The panda team was able to get a vaginal culture from her, which they will check for signs of anything unusual. Once the tests results come back and we’re certain of her health, we will give her access to her outside yard and it will be up to her whether she wants to go outside. We fully anticipate that she’ll return to her normal wonderful giant panda self in a relatively short amount of time. Once she is out of her den and acting normally, we will open the Panda House. We’ll keep the panda cam on so our supporters and fans can continue to watch from around the world. "

[monmouth]

1. The little one had liver abnormalities..

WASHINGTON (AP) — The 6-day-old giant panda cub that died at the National Zoo had liver abnormalities and fluid in its abdomen, but zoo officials said Monday that they don't yet know the cause of death.

The cub, believed to be female, died Sunday morning, less than a week after its birth surprised and delighted zoo officials and visitors. The zoo had all but given up on the panda mother's chances of conceiving.

A necropsy on the cub will be completed within two weeks, and officials expect to have a definitive answer on the cause of death. Panda cubs are about the size of a stick of butter at birth and are susceptible to infections and fatal injuries.

There was no evidence of fluid in the cub's lungs, which would suggest pneumonia, and the cub was not accidentally crushed by its mother, which has happened to other cubs born in captivity. On any given day in the first two weeks of life, pandas born in captivity have a mortality rate of about 18 percent, zoo officials said. Their mortality rate in the wild is unknown, but only a few thousand giant pandas are believed to remain in the wild. Only a few hundred are in captivity.

http://news.yahoo.com/zoo-panda-cub-died-had-liver-abnormalities-144218932.html

[ehrnst]

2. More at this link from ABC news

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/09/national-zoos-giant-panda-was-good-mom-did-not-crush-cub/

Unlike other baby pandas’ livers, which are soft and the same color throughout, this cub’s liver had patches of hard tissue and had splotches of different coloring, Murray said. Scientists also found excess fluid in the cub’s abdomen.

[Happyhippychick]

3. Thanks for the update. I'm heartbroken.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. So sad.

[montanacowboy]

5. SO SAD

THE WASHINGTON ZOO HAS NOT HAD MUCH LUCK WITH THE BABIES BORN THERE

[HopeHoops]

6. True. Six out of seven have died, but the one born in 2009 is still alive.

They aren't exactly the easiest creatures to breed in captivity. They've got enough problems in the wild. When you've got an inchworm for a cub that has to climb up to nurse on a 200+ lb mother, it has to make you wonder how evolution let the species to survive in the first place. She clearly showed emotion. Our rabbit died a few weeks back and all of the other animals have mourned him. They're as sensitive as we are.