National Zoo announces giant panda Mei Xiang has given birth

Smithsonian’s National Zoo tweeted Friday that its giant panda, Mei Xiang, has given birth to a baby panda.

“A precious giant panda cub has arrived! We’re overjoyed to share that Mei Xiang gave birth at 6:35 p.m. and is caring for her newborn attentively. Positive mothering behaviors include nursing her cub and cuddling it close,” the zoo tweeted.

The announcement came just hours after the zoo tweeted that it believed Mei Xiang had gone into labor.

“Giant panda Mei Xiang has become increasingly restless and began body licking—both signs that labor has probably started! Our giant panda team is closely monitoring her via the Panda Cam for a cub’s arrival. Watch with us!” the National Zoo tweeted.

Reproduction scientists and zoo veterinarians artificially inseminated the panda in March with frozen semen collected from one of the zoo’s other pandas, Tian Tian. 

The zoo announced last week that it had detected the fetus during an ultrasound and that Mei Xiang could go into labor any day. 

Veterinarians and the giant panda team at the zoo are closely monitoring her after giving birth. 

She has given birth to three surviving cubs so far: Tai Shan, Bao Bao and Bei Bei. All of the cubs were moved to China when they were 4 years old as part of the zoo’s cooperative agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association. 

According to the World Wildlife Fund, baby pandas are about the size of a stick of butter when they are born. The giant panda population has seen a rebound due to conservation efforts in recent years, but are still considered a “vulnerable” species.

Updated: 7:10 p.m.