USA-PANDA/MALE ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. National Zoo: It's a boy! Washington zoo updates on panda cub
Record ID:
142205
USA-PANDA/MALE ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. National Zoo: It's a boy! Washington zoo updates on panda cub
- Title: USA-PANDA/MALE ANNOUNCEMENT U.S. National Zoo: It's a boy! Washington zoo updates on panda cub
- Date: 28th August 2015
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (AUGUST 28, 2015) (REUTERS) PANDA PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) NANCY MCINERNEY, LABORATORY MANAGER, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "He's a little boy and was fathered by Tian Tian here at the National Zoo. Second, the deceased cub was also male and also fathered by Tian Tian." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DON NEIFFER, CHIEF VETERINARIAN, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "Based on the gross findings of the necropsy, discussions with our pathology team, and the history of supplemental feeding of the cub we consider the most likely cause of death to be complications associated with aspiration of food material into the respiratory system. One consequence of aspiration is the development of pneumonia, termed aspiration pneumonia." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DON NEIFFER, CHIEF VETERINARIAN, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "The reason this cub declined is because of complications associated with us hand rearing it, providing milk through the nipple or through a stomach tube." (SOUNDBITE) (English) DON NEIFFER, CHIEF VETERINARIAN, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "Our cub who is with mom, the bottom line on that animal though is that he's doing great and we're very excited about the progress of our little boy." MORE OF PANDA PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRANDIE SMITH, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR ANIMAL CARE SCIENCES, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "Every time you hear that cub squealing, you hear those big healthy lungs on it and it's telling Mei Xiang that it's hungry, that it wants to nurse. And best of all, we see that when the cub squeals, Mei pays attention." (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRANDIE SMITH, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR FOR ANIMAL CARE SCIENCES, SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL ZOO SAYING: "Today, all of these days later even if she tried to make her way out, squeals from that cub brought her right back. It took her a few tries to get out." PRESS CONFERENCE ENDING
- Embargoed: 12th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA7T2QQ973NDOSAW9OQUGXF8EIQ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: PLEASE SEE EDIT 4278-USA-PANDA/UPDATE FOR VIDEO OF GIANT PANDA MEI XIANG LYING WITH HER SURVIVING CUB
The U.S. National Zoo's surviving giant panda cub is a boy and was fathered by the zoo's male panda, the zoo said on Friday (August 28).
The cub was born on Saturday to Mei Xiang, who is a top tourist draw in the U.S. capital. A fraternal twin died on Wednesday of pneumonia likely caused by inhaling food, the zoo said.
The cubs were sired by Tian Tian, the zoo's male giant panda, the zoo said in a statement. Mei Xiang was artificially inseminated in April using sperm from Tian Tian and from Hui Hui, a panda in China.
The surviving cub is healthy, putting on weight and crying when Mei Xiang tries to leave its den. It weighed 157 grams (5.5 ounces) early on Friday, a 16 percent gain in about 42 hours, officials said.
"We're ecstatic about that," Robert Fleischer, head of the zoo's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics, said at a news conference.
The father was identified using gene sequencing, the statement said.
The twins' birth captured international attention since giant pandas are among the world's most endangered species.
The new cub will be kept out of public view until January and no name has been determined yet, officials said.
The David M. Rubenstein Family Giant Panda Habitat has been closed to the public since Aug. 20. It will remain closed to create a quiet area for the pandas.
Mei Xiang previously had given birth to two surviving cubs, Tai Shan in 2005 and Bao Bao in 2013. Bao Bao marked her second birthday on Sunday.
Giant pandas, which are native to China, have a very low reproductive rate, especially in captivity. There are about 300 giant pandas in captivity and roughly 1,600 in the wild. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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