National Zoo’s panda Mei Xiang not pregnant

CC photo by Flickr user Melissa Wentarmini

It’s official: Mei Xhiang, the lady panda currently in residence at the National Zoo in D.C., is not pregnant.

Pandas are notoriously difficult to inseminate and especially more difficult to test for pregnancy, and it was hoped that Mei Xhiang’s artificial insemination in January may have taken hold. But, sadly, it was (yet another) false alarm.

Mei Xiang and her partner, Tian Tian are on a ten-year loan from China, and in that time, Mei Xhiang has given birth to  one cub, Tai Shan, who has returned to China. The two are expected to be returned to China in December, but a pregnancy would likely have extended their visit.

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