Disappointing News For Giant Panda At National Zoo

WASHINGTON, DC -- Sorry, panda lovers. There won't be any giant panda cub hysteria in D.C. this year.

Excitement had been growing that the female giant panda at the National Zoo, Mei Xiang, was exhibiting signs of pregnancy. However, the 19-year-old panda apparently was experiencing what the zoo calls a false or pseudopregnancy over the last few months and is not actually pregnant, the zoo said in a statement Thursday.

"Endocrinologists had been tracking Mei Xiang’s hormones since she was artificially inseminated March 1," the statement reads. "Her levels of urinary progesterone began to rise in early May, indicating that she would give birth to a cub, or experience the final stages of a pregnancy in 40 to 50 days. Her hormones returned to normal or 'baseline' levels July 1, but she did not give birth indicating that she likely has been experiencing a pseudopregnancy. A final ultrasound today, July 5 confirmed that there is no developing fetus."

Both pregnancies and pseudopregnancies can last between three to six months for giant pandas. Mei Xiang's denning behaviors are expected to decrease, and she will likely return to her normal routine over the coming weeks.

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As a result of the tests, the zoo will reopen the panda house on Thursday and return to normal operating hours of 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can also watch them 24-7 on panda cams on the zoo's website.

"Mei Xiang has given birth to three surviving panda cubs with Tian Tian, all of which were born at the National Zoo," the statement adds. "Her first cub, Tai Shan (tie-SHON), was born July 9, 2005 and now lives in China. Her second cub, Bao Bao (BOW-BOW), was born Aug. 23, 2013. Bao Bao moved to the Dujiangyan Panda Base in February 2017. On Aug. 22, 2015, Mei Xiang gave birth to her third cub, Bei Bei (BAY-BAY), who will move to China by the time he turns 4 years old. All panda cubs born at the Zoo return to China by the time they turn 4."

Giant pandas are currently classified as a "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, with an estimated 1,800 in the wild. The Smithsonian National Zoo works closely with scientists in China on helping the species.

Mei Xiang gave birth to twins in 2015. One of them died a few days after birth, and the other was Bei Bei, a male panda who still lives at the zoo but will move to China at the age of 4.

Image of Mei Xiang via National Zoo