Giant panda may be pregnant

The giant panda Mei Xiang started nesting at the National Zoo over the weekend, but veterinarians cannot yet conclude if she is pregnant. Veterinarians gave Mei Xiang an ultrasound on Tuesday. It is possible that Mei Xiang is experiencing a pseudo pregnancy, which includes a rise in hormone levels when the panda ovulates but does not conceive. Zoo keepers had a hard time trying to get Mei Xiang to cooperate.

The ultrasound showed thickening of the uterine walls, which can mean a pregnancy or a pseudo pregnancy. Panda fetuses don’t develop until the very late stages of the pregnancy, making them very hard to detect. Veterinarians will continue to perform ultrasounds on Mei Xiang if she cooperates. Veterinarians say they should know if the panda is pregnant by mid-September.