Giant Pandas at the National Zoo

[Kris G.]

I can't copy the picture from instagram, but this update was posted there...

Mei Xiang has not been a willing participant in the panda team’s efforts to switch the cubs since 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon. She has the larger cub in her possession. The panda team is caring for the smaller cub and will continue efforts to swap the cubs about every four hours. However, because the smaller cub has been away from Mei, the panda team is now managing it more intensely. The little cub’s behaviors are good. The team is concerned about its fluctuating weight since the cub is now more than 48 hours old. The most important thing for the panda team is to help the cub get enough fluids and nutrients. To accomplish this, they are bottle and tube feeding the cub. The cub has shown some signs of regurgitation which can lead to aspiration in such a tiny creature. To be prudent, the veterinarians are administering antibiotics to prevent possible infection. It’s very important to keep the cub hydrated so they are alternating an infant electrolyte solution with formula and administering fluids under the skin. The cub is urinating and defecating well. The veterinarians have not seen any sign of respiratory distress.

Our observations of the larger cub from yesterday indicate it is doing well and we’re confident Mei Xiang is taking very good care of it. We remain in a high-risk period.

We’ve received a lot of questions about the tiny size of the panda cubs. Bear cubs have the smallest infant-to-mother size ratio of any placental mammal at approx. 1 to 700. Mei Xiang currently weighs about 238 pounds. One of the cubs weighed 86 grams at birth, a 1 to 1,256 ratio of cub to mom. The larger cub weighed 138 grams at birth, a 1 to 783 ratio of cub to mom.

Asia Trail keepers (who successfully hand-reared a sloth bear named Remi last year), additional veterinarian staff and a panda keeper from Zoo Atlanta have been well integrated into the panda team. The entire Zoo community appreciates the outpouring of well-wishes from around the world.

Not going as smoothly as it did with Lun and the twins..paws crossed both survive.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Not going as smoothly as it did with Lun and the twins..paws crossed both survive.

I'm thinking it may actually turn out to be better this way. The first born is so much smaller than the other one...I wonder if it isn't premature. It may be the one that they saw on the ultrasound and expected it to be born 8/28 or so based on its size.

I personally have always thought that the one who didn't survive a few years ago was premature. It seemed to me at the time that it's birth took everyone by surprise.

They'll be better able to intervene if they have the cub in hand.

[Dumpsterkitty]

Found the picture on Twitter...

[Kris G.]

Not going as smoothly as it did with Lun and the twins..paws crossed both survive.

I'm thinking it may actually turn out to be better this way. The first born is so much smaller than the other one...I wonder if it isn't premature. It may be the one that they saw on the ultrasound and expected it to be born 8/28 or so based on its size.

I personally have always thought that the one who didn't survive a few years ago was premature. It seemed to me at the time that it's birth took everyone by surprise.

They'll be better able to intervene if they have the cub in hand.

I had the same thought, especially if they suspect regurgitation..better to have hands on the more fragile of the two, just in case. I wonder if Mei doesn't know the difference between Cubs and feels the larger has a better survival chance thus not allowing a switch. That widget is so darn cute!   

[carly]

From NZ just now:

We are sad to announce that the smaller of the two panda cubs has died. The panda team continues to monitor Mei Xiang and the larger cub. They are encouraged that this cub appears to be strong and behaving normally.

 

[Kris G.]

From NZ just now:

We are sad to announce that the smaller of the two panda cubs has died. The panda team continues to monitor Mei Xiang and the larger cub. They are encouraged that this cub appears to be strong and behaving normally.

 

Just read that on FB..so sad that the little one didn't make it.   

[Dumpsterkitty]

sigh...hope the other cub continues to do well...

[carly]

From the National Zoo Website:
August 26

The smaller of the two giant panda cubs born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo Aug. 22, died shortly after 2 p.m. today, Aug. 26. The panda team rotated both cubs in the past 24 hours allowing each to benefit from spending time with their mother, Mei Xiang. The smaller cub was with Mei Xiang from about 2 p.m. yesterday, Aug. 25, until this morning. When the panda team swapped the cubs this morning, they assessed the little cub and had concerns because it had not increased in weight, appeared weaker and exhibited possible respiratory issues.

The panda team immediately began taking actions to improve the condition of the smaller cub. They administered antibiotics, respiratory support, formula and fluids.

The Zoo's pathologists will perform a necropsy (animal autopsy) on the 4-day-old giant cub. A final pathology report will provide more information in the next few weeks. The veterinary and pathology team will continue to work closely during the ongoing histological evaluation.

At the time of death, the cub weighed 79.8 grams, about 2.8 ounces. The mortality rate for panda cubs in their first year in human care is 26 percent for males and 20 percent for females. Note that some early mortality rates may be underestimated.

Giant pandas give birth to twins approximately 50 percent of the time. This is only the third time a giant panda living in the United States has given birth to twins. At the birth of the second cub, Mei Xiang demonstrated that she was challenged to care for both cubs, but she did not indicate a preference for one cub over the other. The collective scientific knowledge about giant panda mothers is that they are best able to care for one cub at a time.

Per the Giant Panda Twin Hand-Rearing protocol, the panda team alternately swapped the cubs, allowing one to nurse and spend time with Mei Xiang while the other was bottle fed and kept warm in an incubator. The primary goal for the panda team was for both cubs to have the benefit of nursing and spending time with their mother. The cub-swapping approach the panda team used to care for the twin cubs was developed by Chinese colleagues during the past 15 years.

The panda team continues to monitor Mei Xiang and the larger cub via the Panda Cams. They are encouraged that this cub appears to be strong and robust, and that it is behaving normally, urinating and defecating. At last weigh-in, the cub weighed 137.7 grams. Despite these encouraging signs, the team continues to closely monitor both Mei Xiang and her cub around the clock, as the cub is still vulnerable and the risk remains high.

The Zoo will continue to provide daily updates on Mei Xiang and the cub.

[MAK]

 

[Donna]

  How sad! 

[Kris G.]

It's a boy and Tian Tian..you ARE the father!  


http://abcnews.go.com/US/surviving-national-zoo-panda-cub-male/story?id=33379739

[patsy6]

I was just about to post this, Kris!  Anyway, congratulations Tian Tian!   

[Kris G.]

Great lungs! 

http://youtu.be/dT6TCcFzkk8

[Kris G.]

Video by Doxie M. Panda

http://youtu.be/DTXUerJqF4Y

[Kris G.]

Cub is growing..too cute!

http://youtu.be/hWR5QM9zd30